Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Mark Stern, M.D.
Gastroenterology · Decatur, GA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Stern 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. Stern
Dr. Mark Stern is a gastroenterology specialist in Decatur, GA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Stern performed 1,034 Medicare services across 928 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Stern received a total of $8,394 from 49 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 469 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in gastroenterology. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Stern 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 in practice
▲ Top 24% volume in GA
$8,394 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,034
Medicare services
Top 24% in GA for gastroenterology
928
Unique beneficiaries
$107
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~52 Medicare services per year of practice
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
190 | $89 | $310 |
| Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination. |
144 | $211 | $1,028 |
| 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. |
108 | $62 | $305 |
| Colonoscopy with biopsy A procedure to collect tissue samples from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities or disease. |
106 | $100 | $798 |
| Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy A procedure to collect tissue samples from the esophagus, stomach, or upper small intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities. |
95 | $60 | $615 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
74 | $63 | $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. |
69 | $117 | $400 |
| Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening, high risk A colonoscopy performed to screen for colorectal cancer in individuals identified as being at high risk for the disease. |
55 | $179 | $725 |
| Colon polyp removal with endoscope and cautery This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera. Electrical cautery is used to stop bleeding during the removal. |
47 | $118 | $1,028 |
| 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. |
43 | $74 | $265 |
| Esophageal dilation with guide wire and endoscope A flexible endoscope is used to insert a guide wire into the esophagus, followed by dilation to widen the esophageal passage. |
26 | $119 | $639 |
| Esophageal motility study A test that evaluates the movement and function of the esophagus. |
26 | $49 | $210 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
19 | $104 | $316 |
| Balloon dilation of esophagus, stomach, or upper small bowel, less than 3.0 cm A procedure using a flexible endoscope to widen a narrowed section of the esophagus, stomach, or upper small bowel with a balloon that is less than 3.0 cm in length. |
17 | $121 | $699 |
| Esophageal function monitoring via capsule This procedure involves monitoring and recording the function of the esophagus using a small capsule attached to the esophageal wall. |
15 | $64 | $170 |
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. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$8,394
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,199/year across 7 years
Top 22% in GA for gastroenterology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
49
Companies
469
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$8,239 (98.2%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$155 (1.8%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,034
2023
$1,091
2022
$753
2021
$1,276
2020
$896
2019
$1,183
2018
$1,160
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$419
Lilly USA, LLC
$182
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$181
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$154
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$147
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$116
Ardelyx, Inc.
$104
Celgene Corporation
$92
GENZYME CORPORATION
$90
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$85
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$78
PFIZER INC.
$67
Celltrion USA Inc.
$58
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$33
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
$30
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$30
QOL Medical, LLC
$25
Braintree Laboratories, Inc.
$23
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$21
Tempus AI, Inc
$21
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$21
IRONWOOD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
$20
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$20
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 38.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$978
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$936
AbbVie Inc.
$853
ABBVIE INC.
$707
Romark Laboratories, LC
$528
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$384
AbbVie, Inc.
$352
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$286
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$280
PFIZER INC.
$265
Lilly USA, LLC
$210
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$210
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$185
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$184
Braintree Laboratories, Inc.
$174
Ardelyx, Inc.
$164
UCB, Inc.
$146
GENZYME CORPORATION
$130
Celgene Corporation
$126
INTERCEPT PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$115
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$97
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$86
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$85
CSL Behring
$81
Amgen Inc.
$67
Celltrion USA Inc.
$58
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$56
IRONWOOD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
$51
Allergan Inc.
$50
Shionogi Inc
$46
Alfasigma USA, Inc.
$43
Boston Scientific Corporation
$39
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$39
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$38
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$37
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$34
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$33
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$30
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
$30
QOL Medical, LLC
$25
Biogen, Inc.
$22
Tempus AI, Inc
$21
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$20
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18
CapsoVision, Inc.
$17
Novo Nordisk Inc
$15
Shire North American Group Inc
$15
Olympus America Inc.
$15
INTRA-SANA LABORATORIES
$13
Top 3 companies account for 33.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ALINIA · AMJEVITA · AVSOLA · Aemcolo · Alinia · Alinia Tablets 500mg 30 count bottle · BREATHTEK · CAPTIVATOR COLD · CREON · CapsoCam Plus · Cimzia · Creon · DIFICID · DUPIXENT · ENTYVIO · Entyvio · FERAHEME · GATTEX · GENERAL HEMOSTASIS · HUMIRA · Humira · IBSRELA · IDACIO · INJECTAFER · IQIRVO · Kcentra · LINZESS · Linzess · MAVYRET · MAXAIR · MOTEGRITY · Morphabond ER · Mulpleta · NASCOBAL · OCALIVA · OMVOH · Olympus Hemostasis Devices · RELISTOR · RELTONE 200 MG · REMICADE · RENFLEXIS · RESMETIROM · RINVOQ · SKYRIZI · SPINRAZA · STELARA · SUCRAID · SUFLAVE · SUPREP BOWEL PREP · SUTAB · Saxenda · Symproic · TREMFYA · TRULANCE · Talicia · Trulance · UCERIS · VEGZELMA · VIBERZI · VOQUEZNA · Vemlidy · XELJANZ · XIFAXAN · ZENPEP · ZEPOSIA · ZYMFENTRA · Zelnorm
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. 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 →
Most payments (98%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Gastroenterologists within 10 mi
223
Per 100K population
29.3
County median income
$77,683
Nearest hospital
EMORY DECATUR HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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. Stern is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 24% in GA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Stern experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Stern performed 190 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Stern receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Stern received a total of $8,394 from 49 companies across 469 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. 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. Stern's costs compare to other gastroenterologists in Decatur?
Dr. Stern's average Medicare payment per service is $107. 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. Stern) 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 a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. 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?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
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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