Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Paul Defrino, M.D.

Orthopedic Surgery · Palos Heights, IL
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Mixed engagement
7600 W COLLEGE DR, Palos Heights, IL 60463
7083610600
In practice since 2005 (21 years)
NPI: 1326046319 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Defrino 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. Defrino

Dr. Paul Defrino is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Palos Heights, IL, with 21 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Defrino performed 1,292 Medicare services across 900 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Defrino received a total of $249,866 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 49 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. Payments are distributed across multiple categories and often reflect legitimate professional engagement with the medical industry. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Defrino 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.

✓ 21 years in practice ▲ 1,292 Medicare services $249,866 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,292
Medicare services
Bottom 48% in IL for orthopedic surgery
900
Unique beneficiaries
$50
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~62 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 (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.
264 $70 $207
Foot X-ray, 3+ views
An X-ray imaging test of the foot that captures at least three different views to evaluate the bones and joints.
260 $26 $154
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.
234 $28 $157
Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min
A therapy session using exercises to improve strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility. Each 15-minute unit is billed separately.
102 $18 $104
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.
80 $89 $291
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.
53 $99 $300
Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg
An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication.
51 $9 $21
Functional activity therapy
A therapy procedure that utilizes functional activities as part of the treatment process.
42 $29 $91
Vein wound compression bandage application, lower leg, ankle, and foot
Application of compression bandages to the lower leg, ankle, and foot to manage vein-related wounds.
32 $66 $200
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint
Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space.
31 $45 $268
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.
30 $130 $421
Neuromuscular re-education therapy, per 15 min
A therapy procedure designed to re-educate the functional connection between the brain, nerves, and muscles. It is billed in 15-minute increments.
25 $22 $102
Closed treatment of broken outside lower leg bone at ankle
Non-surgical setting of a fracture in the lateral lower leg bone at the ankle joint. This procedure involves realigning the broken bone without making an incision.
20 $273 $1,252
Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min 19 $16 $92
Adult fiberglass short leg cast supplies
Materials used to apply a fiberglass cast to the lower leg for an adult patient.
18 $34 $158
Short leg cast application
Application of a cast to the lower leg to immobilize and support the area during healing.
17 $61 $383
Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 30 minutes 14 $83 $236
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 ↗
$249,866
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $35,695/year across 7 years
Top 4% in IL for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
20
Companies
49
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.

Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$245,999 (98.5%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,743 (0.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$1,224 (0.5%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$900 (0.4%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$854
2023
$246,269
2022
$1,320
2021
$136
2020
$990
2019
$255
2018
$41

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Arteriocyte Medical Systems, Inc.
$413
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$203
Lightbody Medical Technologies Inc
$59
Flower Orthopedics Coporation
$57
Paragon 28, Inc.
$53
Stryker Corporation
$36
TREACE MEDICAL CONCEPTS, INC.
$33
Top 3 companies account for 79.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Arteriocyte Medical Systems, Inc.
$246,412
Medwest Associates
$1,224
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$944
Stryker Corporation
$283
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$280
Wright Medical Technology, Inc.
$218
Paragon 28, Inc.
$75
ORGANOGENESIS INC.
$73
Lightbody Medical Technologies Inc
$59
Flower Orthopedics Coporation
$57
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$47
Kerecis Limited
$33
TREACE MEDICAL CONCEPTS, INC.
$33
ACUMED LLC
$30
Globus Medical, Inc.
$27
WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
$16
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$16
Organogenesis Inc.
$15
Horizon Pharma plc
$13
Fusion Orthopedics USA, LLC
$11
Top 3 companies account for 99.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTISHIELD · ADVANCED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT · AM SURGICAL · AUGMENT · Ankle Fracture System · Bun-Yo-Matic · CHARLOTTE · FIBERGRAFT Aeridyan Matrix · INBONE · INFINITY · INTEGRA MESHED BILAYER WOUND MATRIX · Kerecis Omega3 SurgiClose · LAPIPLASTY SYSTEM · MONKEY BARS · MOTOBAND · Magellan · NA · ORTHOLOC 3DI · OsteoMed · PENNSAID · Physio-Stim · Physio-Stim Osteogenesis Stimulator · Puraply · Puraply Antimicrobial · SALVATION · TFN ADVANCED · VA-LCP · VA-LCP PLATES & SCREWS
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 →

Payments are distributed across multiple categories with no single dominant type. Total industry engagement is in the top 4% for orthopedic surgery in IL.

Looking for an orthopedic surgery specialist in Palos Heights?
Compare orthopedic surgeons in the Palos Heights area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
485
Per 100K population
9.4
County median income
$81,797
Nearest hospital
PALOS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
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. Defrino is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 4% of IL peers, with 21 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. Defrino experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Defrino performed 264 office visit, established patient (20-29 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. Defrino receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Defrino received a total of $249,866 from 20 companies across 49 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. Defrino's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Palos Heights?
Dr. Defrino's average Medicare payment per service is $50. 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. Defrino) 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 →
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

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →