Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Brian Bear, MD
Orthopedic Surgery · Rockford, 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. 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 →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Bear
Dr. Brian Bear is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Rockford, IL, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Bear performed 4,012 Medicare services across 1,682 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Bear received a total of $70,827 from 21 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 44 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. 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. 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 19% volume in IL
$70,827 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗4,012
Medicare services
Top 19% in IL for orthopedic surgery
1,682
Unique beneficiaries
$62
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~211 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collagenase injection, 0.01 mg An injection of collagenase enzyme to break down collagen tissue. The dose specified is 0.01 milligrams. |
1,890 | $52 | $249 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
294 | $5 | $28 |
| 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. |
257 | $91 | $318 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
230 | $29 | $165 |
| 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. |
152 | $63 | $215 |
| 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. |
126 | $26 | $165 |
| 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. |
113 | $100 | $490 |
| X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
111 | $24 | $155 |
| Hand nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand. |
92 | $293 | $2,508 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
81 | $37 | $254 |
| 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. |
78 | $23 | $147 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
69 | $33 | $235 |
| 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 | $102 | $1,672 |
| 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. |
46 | $79 | $320 |
| Elbow X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
45 | $22 | $134 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
42 | $42 | $288 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
36 | $39 | $140 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
31 | $86 | $508 |
| Deep tissue biopsy of forearm or wrist A procedure to remove a sample of deep tissue from the forearm or wrist for laboratory examination. |
29 | $145 | $2,380 |
| Injection of carpal tunnel | 24 | $63 | $377 |
| Adult short arm fiberglass cast supplies Materials used to apply a short arm cast made of fiberglass for patients aged 11 and older. |
23 | $16 | $92 |
| Elbow nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to free or reposition a nerve in the elbow area. This is done to relieve pressure or irritation on the nerve. |
22 | $463 | $4,007 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
20 | $36 | $242 |
| Incision of finger tendon sheath A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon. |
19 | $178 | $2,649 |
| CT scan of arm, without contrast A CT scan of the arm that uses X-rays to create detailed images of the arm's internal structures without the use of contrast dye. |
19 | $96 | $1,074 |
| Medication injection into palm A procedure involving the injection of medication into the palm of the hand. |
18 | $61 | $391 |
| Wrist to finger joint removal Surgical removal of the bones forming the joints between the wrist and the fingers. |
18 | $584 | $5,143 |
| Finger manipulation for connective tissue release A procedure involving the manipulation of a finger to release connective tissue after an enzyme injection has been administered. |
18 | $85 | $523 |
| Tendon transfer to back of hand A surgical procedure where a tendon is moved to a new location on the back of the hand to restore function. |
18 | $310 | $3,557 |
| Elbow to finger cast application Application of a cast extending from the elbow to the fingers to immobilize the arm. |
18 | $59 | $380 |
| 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 | $35 | $217 |
| 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. |
11 | $94 | $1,453 |
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 ↗$70,827
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $10,118/year across 7 years
Top 10% in IL for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
21
Companies
44
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
$68,549 (96.8%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,155 (3.0%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$122 (0.2%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$53,525
2023
$15,514
2022
$20
2021
$100
2020
$91
2019
$1,249
2018
$327
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$53,142
Checkpoint Surgical, Inc
$150
Endo USA, Inc.
$129
Skeletal Dynamics Inc
$105
Top 3 companies account for 99.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$53,142
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$15,407
Wright Medical Technology, Inc.
$724
Skeletal Dynamics Inc
$288
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$212
Checkpoint Surgical, Inc
$150
AXOGEN
$129
Endo USA, Inc.
$129
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$122
Catalyst OrthoScience
$102
Trice Medical, Inc.
$98
Stryker Corporation
$95
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$87
ACUMED LLC
$30
OsteoCentric Technologies, Inc.
$23
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$20
Medartis Inc.
$17
Acumed LLC
$16
AbbVie, Inc.
$13
Sonex Health, Inc.
$11
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$11
Top 3 companies account for 97.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AMNIOEXCEL · Acu-Loc/Acu-Loc 2 Wrist Plating System · Aptus · Ascend Flex · AxoGuard Nerve Connector · BRIDION · Catalyst Total CSR · Checkpoint Stimulators · DVR Crosslock Plates/Screws/Pegs · Geminus · HOFFMANN · Regeneten · SIMPLICITI · SX-ONE MICROKNIFE · Segway blade or mieye camera · Unifi Technology · XIAFLEX · XtraFix
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 (97%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for orthopedic surgery in IL.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
36
Per 100K population
12.7
County median income
$64,363
Nearest hospital
SAINT ANTHONY MEDICAL CENTER
2.1 mi
2.1 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 19% in IL), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 10% of IL peers, with 19 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 collagenase injection, 0.01 mg?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Bear performed 1,890 collagenase injection, 0.01 mg 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 $70,827 from 21 companies across 44 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 orthopedic surgeons in Rockford?
Dr. Bear's average Medicare payment per service is $62. 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 →
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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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