Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Karl Schultz, MD
Legal Medicine · Gainesville, GA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Mixed 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. Schultz 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. Schultz
Dr. Karl Schultz is a legal medicine specialist in Gainesville, GA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Schultz performed 1,473 Medicare services across 1,207 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Schultz received a total of $30,742 from 43 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 131 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in legal medicine. 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. Schultz 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 25% volume in GA
$30,742 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,473
Medicare services
Top 25% in GA for legal medicine
1,207
Unique beneficiaries
$138
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~74 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views An X-ray imaging test of the lower back and sacrum using at least four different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
247 | $34 | $151 |
| 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. |
152 | $27 | $110 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using 4 to 5 different views to visualize the bones and structures in that area. |
120 | $36 | $146 |
| 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. |
111 | $89 | $160 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
108 | $4 | $15 |
| 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. |
90 | $27 | $201 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
81 | $124 | $225 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
60 | $39 | $150 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
58 | $201 | $1,600 |
| 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. |
56 | $120 | $245 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
48 | $157 | $2,450 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints. |
39 | $22 | $104 |
| Imaging guidance for procedure, 60 minutes or less Use of imaging technology to guide a medical procedure. This service lasts 60 minutes or less. |
34 | $12 | $77 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
33 | $694 | $7,355 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
31 | $571 | $6,090 |
| Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with partial disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse the lower spine bones by accessing the area through the abdomen and partially removing a spinal disc. |
24 | $700 | $6,260 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
21 | $8 | $30 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
21 | $8 | $50 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 20 | $1,238 | $6,750 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
20 | $8 | $45 |
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
19 | $307 | $2,115 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 17 | $152 | $310 |
| Anterior cervical spine fusion with disc removal Surgical procedure to fuse upper spine bones through the front of the neck, involving partial removal of the intervertebral disc. |
14 | $494 | $6,140 |
| Anterior removal of upper spine bone with nerve release, single segment This procedure involves removing a bone from the upper spine through an anterior approach to release pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is performed on a single spinal segment. |
14 | $1,368 | $8,360 |
| Spinal fusion with disc removal and nerve release, 1 disc This surgery connects two or more vertebrae in the upper spine to stabilize the area. It involves removing a damaged disc and relieving pressure on the spinal cord or nerve. |
13 | $822 | $7,045 |
| Spinal fracture stabilization with imaging guidance A procedure to stabilize a broken bone in the middle spine by placing a device, using imaging guidance during the treatment. |
11 | $379 | $1,500 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
11 | $122 | $325 |
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.
10.0% high complexity
10.4% medium
79.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$30,742
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $4,392/year across 7 years
Top 0% in GA for legal medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
43
Companies
131
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
$15,271 (49.7%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$15,051 (49.0%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$420 (1.4%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$9,357
2023
$564
2022
$534
2021
$925
2020
$1,720
2019
$10,219
2018
$7,424
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$8,546
Cerapedics Inc.
$161
Medtronic, Inc.
$102
Centinel Spine, LLC
$101
SpineGuard, Inc.
$100
Nevro Corp.
$88
Spine Wave, Inc.
$70
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$62
Stryker Corporation
$55
SI-BONE, INC.
$35
Radius Health, Inc.
$23
Baxter Healthcare
$13
Top 3 companies account for 94.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Spineology Inc.
$15,132
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$8,546
NuVasive, Inc.
$3,549
Spine Wave, Inc.
$268
Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC
$241
Centinel Spine, LLC
$235
PARADIGM SPINE, LLC
$221
Medtronic, Inc.
$196
Cerapedics Inc.
$161
Intrinsic Therapeutics
$143
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$137
icotec Medical Inc.
$128
Nexxt Spine LLC
$125
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$123
SI-BONE, INC.
$115
Ethicon US, LLC
$113
Nevro Corp.
$108
SpineGuard, Inc.
$100
SI-BONE, Inc.
$99
Stryker Corporation
$88
Sanara MedTech Inc.
$86
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$84
Brainlab, Inc.
$80
Abbott Laboratories
$78
Radius Health, Inc.
$69
Boston Scientific Corporation
$67
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$59
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$44
Spinal Elements, Inc.
$36
Xtant Medical Inc
$36
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$34
RTI Surgical, Inc.
$32
Life Spine, Inc.
$31
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$30
Mallinckrodt LLC
$25
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$21
Lilly USA, LLC
$20
Ethicon Inc.
$17
Olympus America Inc.
$15
Nanovis LLC
$14
Baxter Healthcare
$13
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$11
Amendia, Inc.
$9
Top 3 companies account for 88.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTIVL ARTIFICIAL DISC · ALIF · ANDEXXA · AVS NAVIGATOR · BEVYXXA · BRAINLAB · Barricaid Annular Closure Device · CellerateRx · Cervical Matrixx System · DUO TI EXPANDABLE INTERBODY FUSION SYSTEM · EXPAREL · Exparel · FLOSEAL · FORTILINK-C IBF SYSTEM · FREESTYLE LIBRE · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · General - Pain Management · Gliadel · Gruve · I-FACTOR PEPTIDE ENHANCED BONE GRAFT · IFUSE IMPLANT · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · M6-C Artificial Cervical Disc · MIDAS REX · MySpine · N/A · O-ARM · OFIRMEV · Omnia · OptiMesh Graft Containment · PRODISC L · PROFICIENT POSTERIOR CERVICAL SPINE SYSTEM · Proclaim IPG · RESTORE · Rampart One Interbody Fusion System · SALVO SPINE SYSTEM · SIMpact · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SPINAL IMPLANT · STRATAFIX · Sentio · Senza · TLIF · Tymlos · VELOCITY EXPANDABLE INTERBODY SYSTEM · VICRYL · XLIF · coflex · iFuse Implant · icotec Medical BlackArmor Spine Oncology System
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 (50%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 0% for legal medicine in GA.
Geographic Context
Legal medicines within 10 mi
2
Per 100K population
1.0
County median income
$77,430
Nearest hospital
NORTHEAST GEORGIA MEDICAL CENTER, INC
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. Schultz is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 25% in GA), with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 0% of GA peers, 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. Schultz experienced with x-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Schultz performed 247 x-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views 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. Schultz receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Schultz received a total of $30,742 from 43 companies across 131 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. Schultz's costs compare to other legal medicines in Gainesville?
Dr. Schultz's average Medicare payment per service is $138. 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. Schultz) 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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