Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Michael Brunelli, MD

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physician · Framingham, MA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
761 WORCESTER RD, Framingham, MA 01701
5088727881
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1386626513 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. Brunelli 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. Brunelli

Dr. Michael Brunelli is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Framingham, MA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Brunelli performed 5,078 Medicare services across 2,362 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Brunelli received a total of $7,912 from 8 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 36 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Brunelli 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 7% volume in MA $7,912 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
5,078
Medicare services
Top 7% in MA for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
2,362
Unique beneficiaries
$42
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~254 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
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
2,648 $1 $15
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.
627 $69 $220
Tendon or ligament injection
A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament.
330 $39 $157
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.
245 $83 $320
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint
Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint.
232 $43 $183
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
118 $58 $376
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.
117 $102 $300
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.
109 $127 $480
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.
94 $46 $150
Wrist X-ray, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test of the wrist using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints.
85 $29 $134
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.
77 $32 $119
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint
Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space.
68 $46 $192
Hand nerve release or relocation
A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand.
64 $354 $1,660
X-ray of hand, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test of the hand using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints.
37 $42 $195
New patient office visit, 15-29 minutes
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting 15 to 29 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter meets this duration threshold.
32 $52 $210
Wrist to finger joint removal
Surgical removal of the bones forming the joints between the wrist and the fingers.
29 $386 $2,500
Incision of finger tendon sheath
A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon.
28 $177 $1,600
Tendon transfer to palm
A surgical procedure in which a tendon is moved from its original attachment to a new location in the palm to restore or improve hand function.
27 $751 $2,700
Elbow X-ray, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint using two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures.
27 $26 $138
Arthroscopic shoulder surgery for bone shaving and ligament repair
A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera to shave part of the shoulder bone and repair a ligament.
20 $141 $3,500
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.
17 $34 $160
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.
17 $28 $150
Palm connective tissue removal and finger release
Surgical removal of abnormal connective tissue in the palm to release tension on the first finger.
16 $726 $3,000
Arthroscopic shoulder debridement
A minimally invasive procedure to remove damaged or excess tissue from the shoulder joint using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions.
14 $242 $2,995
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.
0.4% high complexity
66.9% medium
32.7% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$7,912
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,319/year across 6 years
Top 31% in MA for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
8
Companies
36
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.

Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$6,621 (83.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$1,291 (16.3%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$5,705
2023
$145
2021
$1,216
2020
$28
2019
$197
2018
$621

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Trimed, Inc.
$5,608
Stryker Corporation
$81
Kairos Surgical Inc
$16
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Trimed, Inc.
$5,608
Kairos Surgical Inc
$1,232
TriMed, Inc.
$354
Stryker Corporation
$232
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$207
AXOGEN
$129
ACUMED LLC
$122
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$28
Top 3 companies account for 90.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ALLOWRAP · Acu-Loc Wrist Plating System · AxoGuard Nerve Protector · CONEXTIONS TR TENDON REPAIR SYSTEM-IMPLANT MECHANISM · EVOS SMALL · TRIATHLON · Tools - AFS · Tools - WFS · XIAFLEX
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 →

Most payments (84%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Framingham?
Compare orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in the Framingham area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse orthopaedic hand surgery physicians nearby

Geographic Context

Orthopaedic hand surgery physicians within 10 mi
43
Per 100K population
2.6
County median income
$126,779
Nearest hospital
METROWEST MEDICAL CENTER
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. Brunelli is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in MA), with low-engagement 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. Brunelli experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Brunelli performed 2,648 steroid injection (triamcinolone) 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. Brunelli receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Brunelli received a total of $7,912 from 8 companies across 36 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. Brunelli's costs compare to other orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in Framingham?
Dr. Brunelli's average Medicare payment per service is $42. 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. Brunelli) 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 →