Dr. Champ Baker, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Baker
Dr. Champ Baker is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Columbus, GA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Baker performed 3,103 Medicare services across 1,124 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Baker received a total of $22,716 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 50 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Baker 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint lubricant injection (Synvisc) | 1,632 | $7 | $35 |
| 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. |
318 | $62 | $239 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 247 | $6 | $30 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
205 | $69 | $333 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
171 | $49 | $234 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
128 | $22 | $154 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
112 | $30 | $177 |
| 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. |
102 | $83 | $351 |
| Hip X-ray, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hip joint using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
46 | $31 | $148 |
| Trigger point injection, 1-2 muscles A procedure involving the injection of medication into one or two specific muscles to treat trigger points. |
29 | $36 | $170 |
| Elbow X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
24 | $23 | $128 |
| MRI of leg joint, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of a joint in the leg performed without the use of contrast dye. |
17 | $103 | $932 |
| Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair A minimally invasive surgery to repair torn shoulder tendons using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
16 | $812 | $5,639 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
15 | $27 | $150 |
| MRI of arm joint, without contrast An MRI scan uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the arm joint. This specific procedure is performed without the use of a contrast dye. |
15 | $73 | $1,121 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
14 | $27 | $152 |
| Arthroscopic removal of knee cartilage A minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove damaged or loose pieces of cartilage from the knee joint using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
12 | $377 | $3,580 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (72%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in orthopedic surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | 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. Baker is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% in GA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 15% of GA peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): 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.
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