Medicare Enrolled

Dr. James Fonger, M.D.

Thoracic Surgery · Atlanta, GA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
1100 JOHNSON FY RD NE, Atlanta, GA 30342
4044462800
Registered in NPPES since 2005
NPI: 1497736797 verify on NPPES ↗
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating. This page presents federal public records about Dr. Fonger from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Fonger

Dr. James Fonger is a thoracic surgery specialist in Atlanta, GA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Fonger performed 1,424 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Fonger received a total of $2,594 from 11 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 100 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Fonger is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 20 years of NPI registration ▲ Top 4% volume in GA $2,594 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary — 2023

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,424
Medicare services
Top 4% in GA for thoracic surgery
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$379
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →

Top procedures by volume

Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.

Procedure Volume Avg. paid Avg. submitted
Ultrasound of arm or leg veins
An ultrasound exam of the veins in one arm or leg using compression and other maneuvers to assess blood flow and check for blockages.
382 $94 $360
Ultrasound of arm or leg veins
An ultrasound exam of the veins in the arm or leg. The test uses sound waves to check blood flow and may include compression and other maneuvers.
283 $145 $560
Radiofrequency vein destruction, first vein
A procedure to treat the first incompetent vein in the arm or leg using radiofrequency energy and imaging guidance.
143 $859 $5,130
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
114 $65 $190
New patient office visit (45-59 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter.
113 $121 $450
Chemical destruction of first incompetent vein with imaging guidance
This procedure uses imaging guidance to chemically destroy the first incompetent vein in the arm or leg.
110 $1,343 $4,500
Ultrasound-guided injection into multiple incompetent leg veins
A procedure where a chemical agent is injected into several faulty veins in the same leg. Ultrasound guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection.
68 $1,136 $3,500
Ultrasound-guided injection into a single leg vein
A chemical agent is injected into one incompetent vein in the leg while using ultrasound to guide the needle placement.
65 $1,052 $3,300
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)
A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
64 $99 $290
Varicose vein removal, 10-20 incisions
A surgical procedure to remove varicose veins from the arm or leg using 10 to 20 small incisions.
48 $338 $1,380
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 17 $156 $570
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
17 $45 $120
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$2,594
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $371/year across 7 years
Bottom 39% in GA for thoracic surgery
11
Companies
100
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →

Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$375
2023
$572
2022
$412
2021
$219
2020
$173
2019
$214
2018
$628

Payments by company (2024)

Arthrex, Inc.
$327
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$49
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$1,247
Medtronic, Inc.
$344
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$332
Arthrex, Inc.
$327
Biocompatibles, Inc.
$92
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$79
ORGANOGENESIS INC.
$61
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$45
CashFlow Solutions, LLC
$34
Boston Scientific Corporation
$23
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$11
Top 3 companies account for 74.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
CLOSUREFAST · ClosureFast · FLEXITOUCH · Flexitouch Plus · General - Vascular Intervention · LYMPHA PRESS OPTIMAL PLUS(US) BT · Puraply Antimicrobial · SternaLock Blu · VARITHENA · VENASEAL · VenaSeal · XARELTO
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →
Looking for a thoracic surgery specialist in Atlanta?
Compare thoracic surgerists in the Atlanta area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse thoracic surgerists nearby

Geographic Context

Thoracic surgerists in nearby ZIP areas
77
County median income
$91,490
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
SAINT JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL OF ATLANTA, INC
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPES NPPES snapshot; verify current record
Medicare Enrollment PECOS PECOS snapshot
Practice Data Medicare Util. Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open Payments CY 2024
Disciplinary History — Not included N/A

This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Fonger is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 4% in GA), with 20 years of NPI registration.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Fonger experienced with ultrasound of arm or leg veins?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Fonger performed 382 ultrasound of arm or leg veins services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Fonger receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Fonger received a total of $2,594 from 11 companies across 100 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Fonger's costs compare to other thoracic surgerists in Atlanta?
Dr. Fonger's average Medicare payment per service is $379. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Fonger) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
About this page

This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.

This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. Data Coverage reflects data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Industry payment disclosure alone establishes neither wrongdoing nor legality. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →