Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Robert Spang, MD

Orthopedic Surgery · Boston, MA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, Boston, MA 02114
6177262942
In practice since 2013 (13 years)
NPI: 1689011835 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. Spang 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. Spang? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Spang

Dr. Robert Spang is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Boston, MA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Spang performed 2,896 Medicare services across 1,279 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Spang received a total of $25,371 from 21 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 71 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Spang 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.

✓ 13 years in practice ▲ Top 15% volume in MA $25,371 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
2,896
Medicare services
Top 15% in MA for orthopedic surgery
1,279
Unique beneficiaries
$41
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~223 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
Extended-release steroid injection (Zilretta)
An injection of triamcinolone acetonide using a preservative-free, extended-release microsphere formulation. The dosage is measured in milligrams.
800 $13 $36
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
346 $1 $42
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.
340 $70 $210
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.
328 $96 $341
Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg 298 $6 $64
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
247 $54 $317
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.
186 $30 $155
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.
136 $33 $145
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.
55 $78 $350
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.
55 $118 $475
Knee X-ray, 1-2 views
An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures.
36 $48 $220
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.
29 $28 $139
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.
16 $29 $134
Computer-assisted surgery for muscle and bone procedure
A surgical procedure involving muscles or bones that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning or execution.
12 $108 $600
Total knee replacement 12 $971 $8,385
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.
0.8% high complexity
58.4% medium
40.8% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$25,371
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,624/year across 7 years
Top 19% in MA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
21
Companies
71
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$18,191 (71.7%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$4,208 (16.6%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,972 (11.7%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$545
2023
$731
2022
$81
2021
$2,448
2020
$2,006
2019
$11,282
2018
$8,278

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
EXACTECH, INC.
$230
Shoulder Innovations, Inc.
$126
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$93
Bioventus LLC
$30
Ethicon US, LLC
$25
Endo USA, Inc.
$23
ACUMED LLC
$17
Top 3 companies account for 82.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$8,426
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$8,000
DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
$4,208
Arthrex, Inc.
$2,013
Stryker Corporation
$1,335
EXACTECH, INC.
$538
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$181
Shoulder Innovations, Inc.
$126
Innovation Technologies Inc
$95
Wright Medical Technology, Inc.
$84
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$67
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$65
Bioventus LLC
$49
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$47
Ethicon US, LLC
$25
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$24
Endo USA, Inc.
$23
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$19
ACUMED LLC
$17
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
ZIMVIE INC.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 81.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ALLOMATRIX · BIXCUT · BLUEPRINT PATIENT SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTATION · BLUEPRINT PSI SYSTEM · Bioinductive Implant with Arthroscopic Delivery System - Medium · Biomet EBI Bone Healing System · Bone Anchors with Arthroscopic Delivery System · DSUVIA · DYNACORD · EQUINOXE · Exogen Ultrasound Bone Healing System · Exparel · InFrame Implant · InSet System · Irrisept · MAKO · MyMobility · NA · NANO TACT FLEX · NOVOSTITCH · PICO7 · PROSTEP · Physio-Stim · REUNION · RIO · SUPARTZ FX SODIUM HYALURONATE · SURGICEL NU-KNIT · ULTRABUTTON · VISUALIZATION · XIAFLEX · Zilretta
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 (72%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in orthopedic surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Looking for an orthopedic surgery specialist in Boston?
Compare orthopedic surgeons in the Boston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse orthopedic surgeons nearby

Geographic Context

Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
477
Per 100K population
61.0
County median income
$92,859
Nearest hospital
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL 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. Spang is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 15% in MA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 19% of MA peers.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Spang experienced with extended-release steroid injection (zilretta)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Spang performed 800 extended-release steroid injection (zilretta) 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. Spang receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Spang received a total of $25,371 from 21 companies across 71 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. Spang's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Boston?
Dr. Spang's average Medicare payment per service is $41. 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. Spang) 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 →