Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Michael Prater, D.O.

Orthopedic Surgery · Gastonia, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
870 SUMMIT CROSSING PL, Gastonia, NC 28054
7048672333
Registered in NPPES since 2012
NPI: 1982955886 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. Prater 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. Prater

Dr. Michael Prater is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Gastonia, NC, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Prater performed 1,164 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Prater received a total of $47,611 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 180 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Prater 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 of NPI registration ▲ Top 46% volume in NC $47,611 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary — 2023

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,164
Medicare services
Top 46% in NC for orthopedic surgery
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$96
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →

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
Betamethasone steroid injection
An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate.
288 $5 $11
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.
190 $85 $237
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.
94 $33 $82
Knee X-ray, 4 or more views
An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles.
81 $34 $103
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.
79 $27 $90
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.
71 $106 $390
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
66 $49 $226
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.
48 $29 $106
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.
46 $61 $151
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.
41 $127 $344
Total knee replacement 40 $951 $4,609
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.
26 $26 $90
Total hip replacement
Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components.
22 $971 $4,165
Smoking cessation counseling, 4-10 minutes
A brief counseling session focused on helping patients quit smoking and tobacco use. The provider spends 4 to 10 minutes discussing strategies and support for cessation.
19 $14 $41
Musculoskeletal surgical navigation with imaging guidance
A surgical procedure that uses imaging technology to guide orthopedic operations on the musculoskeletal system.
14 $114 $343
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.
14 $107 $437
Initial hospital admission, high complexity
Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
14 $129 $452
Computer-assisted surgical navigation
Use of computer technology and fluoroscopic imaging to guide orthopedic surgical procedures with precision.
11 $110 $343
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
6.5% high complexity
31.6% medium
61.9% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$47,611
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $6,802/year across 7 years
Top 12% in NC for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
22
Companies
180
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →

Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$11,713
2023
$11,929
2022
$5,268
2021
$1,851
2020
$1,313
2019
$8,198
2018
$7,341

Payments by company (2024)

Globus Medical, Inc.
$9,573
CurveBeam LLC
$1,750
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$142
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$133
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$49
Sanara MedTech Inc.
$19
Bioventus LLC
$17
Peerless Surgical Inc.
$16
HERAEUS MEDICAL, LLC.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 97.9% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Globus Medical, Inc.
$18,999
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$9,961
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$6,231
Peerless Surgical Inc.
$3,037
Medacta USA, Inc.
$2,047
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$1,823
CurveBeam LLC
$1,750
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$1,548
Stryker Corporation
$1,020
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$313
Bioventus LLC
$179
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$165
Next Science LLC
$132
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$112
Amgen Inc.
$87
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$70
Heron Therapeutics, Inc.
$42
ORGANOGENESIS INC.
$33
Sanara MedTech Inc.
$19
Mallinckrodt LLC
$18
HERAEUS MEDICAL, LLC.
$13
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$12
Top 3 companies account for 73.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
A/R Femoral Nail · AMISTEM · AMIStem · ANCHORAGE · Alps Prox Tib Plates · Avenir · BIOFIX · CORI · CellerateRx · DUROLANE · DYNACORD · Durolane · EXPAREL · ExcelsiusGPS Robotic Navigation System · Exogen · Exogen Ultrasound Bone Healing System · GMK SPHERE · GMK Sphere · GMK Sphere Revision System · Healthloop · Hips Product Portfolio · JII Unicondylar Knee System · JOURNEY II · JOURNEY II BCS · Journey II BCS · Journey II CR · Journey II XR · Juggerknotless · Legacy Stelkast Knee · Legion · MAKO · MOVANTIK · NAVIO · NEXTAR · Navio Surgical System · OFIRMEV · ORTHOVISC · Onvoy · PALACOS · PROVIDENCE · Persona · Prolia · Puraply · R3 · REAL INTELLIGENCE · ROSA-Knee · SurgX · TRIATHLON · Taperloc · VA-LCP · VAPR · VERILAST Hips · Velys · Versalok Orthocord · ZYNRELEF · mymobility Platform
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Looking for an orthopedic surgery specialist in Gastonia?
Compare orthopedic surgeons in the Gastonia area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Orthopedic surgeons in nearby ZIP areas
190
County median income
$65,472
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
CAROMONT REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
5.1 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPES NPPES snapshot; verify current record
Medicare Enrollment PECOS PECOS snapshot
Practice Data Medicare Util. Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open Payments CY 2024
Disciplinary History — Not included 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. Prater is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Prater experienced with betamethasone steroid injection?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Prater performed 288 betamethasone steroid injection services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Prater receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Prater received a total of $47,611 from 22 companies across 180 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. Prater's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Gastonia?
Dr. Prater's average Medicare payment per service is $96. 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. Prater) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
About this page

This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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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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. Industry payment disclosure alone establishes neither wrongdoing nor legality. 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 →