Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Stephen Tafor, MD
Interventional Pain Medicine Physician · Macon, GA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Tafor 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. Tafor?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Tafor
Dr. Stephen Tafor is an interventional pain medicine physician in Macon, GA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Tafor performed 4,413 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Tafor received a total of $15,419 from 42 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 399 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. Tafor 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 12% volume in GA
$15,419 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗4,413
Medicare services
Top 12% in GA for interventional pain medicine physician
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$67
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
1,919 | $59 | $250 |
| Drug screening test A laboratory test that uses a chemistry analyzer to detect the presence of drugs in a sample. |
773 | $58 | $280 |
| Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS. |
573 | $149 | $400 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
250 | $12 | $200 |
| Additional sedation, per 15 minutes Administration of a drug to deepen sedation during a procedure. This code covers each additional 15-minute increment of sedation beyond the initial period. |
220 | $8 | $200 |
| Psychological test administration, first 30 minutes A technician administers psychological or neuropsychological testing for the first 30 minutes. |
75 | $22 | $53 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
62 | $75 | $400 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
56 | $100 | $722 |
| 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. |
50 | $61 | $310 |
| Spinal injection with imaging guidance A procedure where medication is injected into the middle or upper part of the spinal canal. Imaging technology is used to guide the needle to the correct location. |
47 | $78 | $522 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
42 | $78 | $1,181 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
41 | $95 | $812 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
41 | $55 | $433 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
31 | $45 | $1,078 |
| Neuropsychological test evaluation, first hour A professional assessment of cognitive and behavioral functioning using standardized tests. This service covers the initial hour of the evaluation process. |
31 | $91 | $200 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals. |
30 | $144 | $1,180 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
28 | $66 | $400 |
| 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. |
27 | $115 | $480 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
20 | $50 | $360 |
| Trigger point injection, 1-2 muscles A procedure involving the injection of medication into one or two specific muscles to treat trigger points. |
19 | $36 | $310 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
18 | $118 | $1,550 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement. |
18 | $68 | $1,550 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 17 | $6 | $80 |
| Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg. |
13 | $0 | $160 |
| Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into other nerve or branch | 12 | $54 | $667 |
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 ↗$15,419
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,203/year across 7 years
Top 8% in GA for interventional pain medicine physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
42
Companies
399
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
$3,929
2023
$5,723
2022
$1,779
2021
$1,146
2020
$740
2019
$933
2018
$1,168
Payments by company (2024)
Boston Scientific Corporation
$1,852
Curonix LLC
$1,502
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$195
Medtronic, Inc.
$149
Nevro Corp.
$122
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$54
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$41
Abbott Laboratories
$14
Top 3 companies account for 90.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Medtronic, Inc.
$4,522
Boston Scientific Corporation
$3,864
Curonix LLC
$1,555
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$976
Nevro Corp.
$943
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$506
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$486
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$368
PFIZER INC.
$341
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$200
Flowonix Medical Incorporated
$181
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$177
Abbott Laboratories
$150
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$129
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$110
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$74
Kaleo, Inc.
$70
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc.
$65
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$60
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$58
Purdue Pharma L.P.
$56
BIODELIVERY SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
$46
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$45
Shionogi Inc
$44
GRT US Holding, Inc.
$41
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$37
Horizon Pharma plc
$36
US WorldMeds, LLC
$35
Assertio Therapeutics, Inc.
$25
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$20
Stimwave Technologies Incorporated
$18
Egalet US Inc
$18
Orthogenrx Inc.
$18
PAINTEQ LLC
$17
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$17
Amgen Inc.
$17
Eisai Inc.
$16
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$16
Aziyo Biologics, Inc.
$15
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$14
Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 64.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AJOVY · BELBUCA · BUNAVAIL 2.1 mg 30-count box · Belbuca · CHANTIX · Cambia · Dayvigo · ECM Patch · Evzio · G4 RF Generator · GENERAL THERAPIES · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GenVisc 850 · General - Pain Management · Gralise · HYSINGLA ER · Horizant · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · Intracept · KRYSTEXXA · KYPHON EXPRESS II KYPHOPAK TRAY · LYRICA · Lucemyra/Lofexidine · MOVANTIK · Movantik · Nalocet · Nalu Neurostimulation System · Nucynta · Omnia · PAINTEQ · PENNSAID · PNS FREEDOM-4A PERMANENT NEUROSTIMULATOR RECEIVER KIT CHANNEL A · PROCLAIM · Patient Trial Kit · Pouch · Proclaim IPG · Prometra II · Qutenza · RELISTOR · RELISTOR ORAL · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SPRINT PNS System · SPRIX · SYMPROIC · SYNCHROMEDII · Senza · Senza II · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · Spectra WaveWriter · Superion Indirect Decompression System · Symproic · TROKENDI XR · WAVEWRITER ALPHA · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XTAMPZA · XTAMPZAER · Xtampza ER · ZOHYDRO ER · ZTLido · ZTLido 30 POUCH in 1 CARTON 1 PATCH in 1 POUCH · Zilretta · mild Device Kit
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 →
Geographic Context
Interventional pain medicine physicians in nearby ZIP areas
8
County median income
$50,747
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
PIEDMONT MACON NORTH HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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. Tafor is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% 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. Tafor experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Tafor performed 1,919 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 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. Tafor receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Tafor received a total of $15,419 from 42 companies across 399 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. Tafor's costs compare to other interventional pain medicine physicians in Macon?
Dr. Tafor's average Medicare payment per service is $67. 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. Tafor) 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 →
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By company
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By company
Curonix LLC Payments to Doctors
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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.
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