Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Joseph Bear, M.D.
Urology Physician · Macon, 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. Bear 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 →
Are you Dr. Bear?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Bear
Dr. Joseph Bear is an urology physician in Macon, GA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Bear performed 3,404 Medicare services across 2,227 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Bear received a total of $13,032 from 60 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 431 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in urology physician. 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. Bear 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.
✓ 17 years in practice
▲ Top 26% volume in GA
$13,032 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,404
Medicare services
Top 26% in GA for urology physician
2,227
Unique beneficiaries
$53
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~200 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. |
1,033 | $86 | $370 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
896 | $2 | $9 |
| Bladder ultrasound after voiding An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder. |
378 | $7 | $59 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) | 267 | $18 | $75 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
265 | $8 | $23 |
| Cystourethroscopy A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract. |
155 | $160 | $651 |
| Leuprolide acetate (for depot suspension), 7.5 mg | 96 | $134 | $771 |
| 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. |
86 | $110 | $561 |
| 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. |
32 | $97 | $468 |
| Endoscopic removal of foreign body, stone, or stent from urethra or bladder A procedure to remove a foreign object, stone, or stent from the urethra or bladder using an endoscope. The endoscope is a thin tube with a camera inserted into the urinary tract to locate and extract the item. |
29 | $222 | $929 |
| Ureteral stent insertion via endoscope A flexible tube is inserted into the ureter using an endoscope to keep the passage open and allow urine to flow from the kidney to the bladder. |
25 | $98 | $972 |
| 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. |
25 | $129 | $496 |
| Subcutaneous or intramuscular chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering anti-cancer hormonal medication through an injection into the tissue under the skin or into a muscle. |
24 | $25 | $126 |
| Shock wave crushing of kidney stones A procedure that uses shock waves to break kidney stones into smaller pieces so they can pass more easily from the body. |
19 | $428 | $2,222 |
| 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. |
19 | $68 | $253 |
| 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. |
15 | $61 | $249 |
| Prostate gland biopsy A procedure to remove small samples of tissue from the prostate gland for laboratory examination. |
14 | $96 | $604 |
| Ureteral stone crushing with stent insertion An endoscope is used to break up a stone in the ureter, followed by the placement of a stent to keep the ureter open. |
13 | $301 | $1,577 |
| Imaging of urinary tract with contrast An imaging test of the urinary tract performed after a contrast agent is injected to enhance visibility of the structures. |
13 | $19 | $89 |
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.
2.0% high complexity
12.6% medium
85.4% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$13,032
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,862/year across 7 years
Top 18% in GA for urology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
60
Companies
431
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
$12,564 (96.4%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$469 (3.6%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,173
2023
$3,032
2022
$1,756
2021
$2,198
2020
$756
2019
$1,172
2018
$1,945
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$453
Teleflex LLC
$447
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$328
COLOPLAST CORP
$209
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$132
Ambu Inc.
$106
ABBVIE INC.
$102
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$66
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$64
ABC Home Medical Supply, Inc.
$39
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$37
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$30
Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited
$29
Calyxo, Inc.
$26
Endo USA, Inc.
$24
Tolmar, Inc.
$22
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$22
Axonics, Inc.
$19
Laborie Medical Technologies Corp.
$18
Top 3 companies account for 56.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Teleflex LLC
$2,044
Boston Scientific Corporation
$2,022
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$900
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$888
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$803
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$596
Coloplast Corp
$382
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$371
Upsher-Smith Laboratories LLC
$347
Myovant Sciences Inc.
$336
COLOPLAST CORP
$335
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$326
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$306
Axonics, Inc.
$296
Ambu Inc.
$275
ABBVIE INC.
$230
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$216
180 Medical, Inc.
$190
AbbVie Inc.
$165
ABC Home Medical Supply, Inc.
$159
Medtronic, Inc.
$136
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$119
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$117
AbbVie, Inc.
$104
Allergan, Inc.
$98
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$96
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$93
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$87
TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$85
Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited
$64
C. R. Bard, Inc. & Subsidiaries
$53
Accord Healthcare, Inc.
$46
Avadel Specialty Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$45
Olympus America Inc.
$44
Tolmar, Inc.
$40
Allergan Inc.
$39
Palette Life Sciences, Inc.
$38
Amgen Inc.
$37
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$36
Ethicon US, LLC
$35
UROVANT SCIENCES INC
$34
Laborie Medical Technologies Corp.
$33
Dornier MedTech America, Inc
$32
PFIZER INC.
$30
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$30
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$27
Calyxo, Inc.
$26
Endo USA, Inc.
$24
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$21
KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America
$20
HealthTronics Mobile Solutions, LLC
$19
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$19
Wilmington Medical Supply, Inc.
$17
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$17
Hollister Incorporated
$16
Retrophin, Inc.
$15
DENTSPLY IH Inc.
$14
Rochester Medical Corporation
$14
NeoTract Inc.
$13
SRS Medical Systems, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 38.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(815) Thiola · ADSTILADRIN · AMS · AMS 700 · AMS 700 CXR RTE Kit · AQUABEAM ROBOTIC SYSTEM · AQUABEAM SYSTEM · AVEED · All-In-One · Axonics · BOTOX · BOTOX THERAPEUTIC · Bard Urinary Drainage Bag · Bulkamid · CAMCEVI · CONTINENCE CARE · CVAC ASPIRATION SYSTEM · ClearSight System · Da Vinci Surgical System · ELIGARD · Flex-X / IMAGE 1 S · GEMTESA · GENERAL THERAPIES · GENERAL - THERAPIES · GENTLECATH · GREENLIGHT · General - Kidney Stone Disease · General - Therapies · GentleCath · INTERSTIM · Isiris aStent Removal Device · JATENZO · JYNARQUE · KEYTRUDA · LITHOVUE · LUPRON DEPOT · LYNPARZA · LithoVue · Lithotripters & Accessories · LoFric · Luja Coude · Lumenis Pulse 120H · Lupron Depot · MYRBETRIQ · MYRISK · Mobile Cryoblation Services · Myrbetriq · Noctiva · Nubeqa · ORGOVYX · Obtryx System - Curved · Olympus Cysto-Resection · Olympus Cystoscopes · Onli · Optilume BPH Drug Coated Balloon Catheter · PLUVICTO · POSLUMA · PROLARIS · PROVENGE · Porges Coloplast · Prolaris · Prolia · QUDEXY XR Topiramate Extended Release Capsules · REZUM · Rezum Generator · SPACEOAR · SPACEOAR VUE · SPEEDICATH · Seglentis · Soltive · SpaceOAR VUE System - 10mL · SpeediCath · Stenostent · TOPIRAMATE Extended Release Capsules · TOSYMRA SUMATRIPTAN NASAL SPRAY · TOVIAZ · Thiola · Titan · Tria Firm · UROLIFT · UROLIFT SYSTEM · UroCuff · UroLift · UroLift System · VESICARE · XIAFLEX · XTANDI · Xpeeda DSL Fiber · rezum Generator
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 (96%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Urology physicians within 10 mi
14
Per 100K population
49.1
County median income
$68,259
Nearest hospital
COLISEUM MEDICAL CENTERS, LLC, DBA
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. Bear is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 26% in GA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 18% of GA peers, with 17 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. Bear experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Bear performed 1,033 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. Bear receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Bear received a total of $13,032 from 60 companies across 431 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. Bear's costs compare to other urology physicians in Macon?
Dr. Bear's average Medicare payment per service is $53. 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. Bear) 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 →
Explore related providers
Same specialty & city
Urology Physicians in Macon
Browse urology physicians in Macon ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Urology Physicians in GA
Urology physicians ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Urology Physicians in GA
Which GA urology physicians receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Teleflex LLC Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Teleflex LLC.
By company
Boston Scientific Corporation Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Boston Scientific Corporation.
By company
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
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.
Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology