Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Don Kovalsky, M.D.
Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine Physician · Mount Vernon, IL
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
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. Kovalsky 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. Kovalsky
Dr. Don Kovalsky is an orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician in Mount Vernon, IL, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kovalsky performed 4,943 Medicare services across 1,997 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kovalsky received a total of $11,403 from 11 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 51 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Kovalsky 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 4% volume in IL
$11,403 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗4,943
Medicare services
Top 4% in IL for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
1,997
Unique beneficiaries
$29
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~247 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRI contrast dye injection (gadobutrol) | 2,075 | $0 | $1 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
438 | $1 | $23 |
| 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. |
402 | $92 | $297 |
| 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. |
328 | $64 | $230 |
| MRI of lower spine, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the lower spinal canal that does not use contrast dye to create detailed images of the spine. |
178 | $70 | $1,105 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) of hip, pelvis, and spine This test measures bone density in the hip, pelvis, and spine to assess bone strength. It also includes an assessment for spine fractures. |
175 | $49 | $394 |
| Pelvis X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the pelvic area using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
174 | $18 | $213 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum 6 views An X-ray imaging test that captures at least six views of the lower back and sacral spine to evaluate bone structure and alignment. |
159 | $40 | $372 |
| Trabecular bone score calculation This procedure calculates the trabecular bone score using imaging data to assess bone microarchitecture. It includes interpretation and a report on fracture risk. |
156 | $27 | $104 |
| 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. |
113 | $136 | $372 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
101 | $50 | $396 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
63 | $23 | $248 |
| 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. |
60 | $20 | $218 |
| 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. |
54 | $124 | $405 |
| 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. |
52 | $27 | $245 |
| 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. |
50 | $74 | $1,202 |
| 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. |
46 | $25 | $241 |
| MRI of upper spine without contrast An MRI scan of the upper spinal canal that does not use contrast dye. This imaging test uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the spine. |
46 | $67 | $1,103 |
| MRI of lower spine with and without contrast An MRI scan of the lower spinal canal performed both before and after the administration of contrast dye to enhance image detail. |
44 | $101 | $1,600 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 6 or more views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using six or more separate views to capture detailed images of the bones and structures in that area. |
40 | $42 | $320 |
| 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. |
36 | $35 | $310 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
33 | $24 | $215 |
| 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. |
32 | $23 | $233 |
| X-ray of middle and lower spine, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that captures two views of the middle and lower sections of the spine to visualize the bones and joints. |
23 | $24 | $210 |
| Ankle X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the ankle that captures at least three different angles to evaluate the bones and joints. |
22 | $23 | $215 |
| Knee X-ray, 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint that captures three different angles to evaluate the bones and surrounding structures. |
16 | $22 | $211 |
| 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. |
15 | $74 | $277 |
| 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. |
12 | $39 | $292 |
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 ↗$11,403
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,629/year across 7 years
Top 46% in IL for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
11
Companies
51
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.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$9,231 (81.0%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,172 (19.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$38
2023
$104
2022
$95
2021
$437
2020
$92
2019
$1,774
2018
$8,864
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
SI-BONE, INC.
$21
Amgen Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
SI-BONE, Inc.
$9,231
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$859
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$531
Abbott Laboratories
$216
SI-BONE, INC.
$186
Boston Scientific Corporation
$124
Medtronic, Inc.
$106
Amgen Inc.
$78
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$49
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$12
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$12
Top 3 companies account for 93.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCS · ANTEGRA · CONDUIT · Chameleon · EVENITY · EXPEDIUM · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · IFUSE IMPLANT · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · MATRIX · MOVANTIK · PROCLAIM · Physio-Stim · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · RESTORE · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · TPAL · VIPER · ViviGen · iFuse Implant
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 →
The majority of payments (81%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Geographic Context
Orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians within 10 mi
3
Per 100K population
8.2
County median income
$61,102
Nearest hospital
GOOD SAMARITAN REGIONAL HLTH CENTER
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. Kovalsky is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 4% in IL), with consulting-driven 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. Kovalsky experienced with mri contrast dye injection (gadobutrol)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kovalsky performed 2,075 mri contrast dye injection (gadobutrol) 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. Kovalsky receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kovalsky received a total of $11,403 from 11 companies across 51 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. Kovalsky's costs compare to other orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians in Mount Vernon?
Dr. Kovalsky's average Medicare payment per service is $29. 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. Kovalsky) 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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