Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Steven Sanderson, MD
Family Medicine · Hickory, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Sanderson 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. Sanderson
Dr. Steven Sanderson is a family medicine specialist in Hickory, NC, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sanderson performed 2,961 Medicare services across 1,597 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sanderson received a total of $3,133 from 43 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 188 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. 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. Sanderson 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 NC
$3,133 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,961
Medicare services
Top 7% in NC for family medicine
1,597
Unique beneficiaries
$43
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~148 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 (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. |
674 | $84 | $253 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
529 | $6 | $6 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
438 | $1 | $5 |
| 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. |
247 | $62 | $178 |
| Annual alcohol misuse screening, 5 to 15 minutes | 188 | $17 | $37 |
| Annual intensive behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease, 15 minutes A yearly, in-person session focused on intensive behavioral therapy to help manage cardiovascular disease. The session lasts for 15 minutes and is conducted with the patient individually. |
188 | $25 | $52 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
179 | $122 | $257 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
106 | $10 | $47 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
80 | $2 | $7 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
63 | $29 | $77 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
61 | $40 | $109 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
58 | $72 | $166 |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) An intramuscular injection of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It is used to protect against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. |
29 | $282 | $318 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
29 | $29 | $77 |
| Respiratory virus detection test A laboratory test using immunoassay techniques to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and influenza viruses. |
26 | $52 | $175 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
25 | $36 | $103 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
21 | $9 | $33 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1 Removal of a single precancerous skin growth. This procedure destroys abnormal skin cells to prevent them from developing into cancer. |
20 | $49 | $151 |
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 ↗$3,133
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $448/year across 7 years
Top 14% in NC for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
43
Companies
188
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
$3,133 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$489
2023
$691
2022
$543
2021
$428
2020
$398
2019
$335
2018
$250
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$97
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$88
Novo Nordisk Inc
$62
ABBVIE INC.
$37
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$33
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$30
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$28
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$26
Abbott Laboratories
$23
PFIZER INC.
$20
Lilly USA, LLC
$18
SHIELD THERAPEUTICS INC
$14
Exact Sciences Corporation
$14
Top 3 companies account for 50.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novo Nordisk Inc
$453
PFIZER INC.
$387
Amgen Inc.
$233
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$181
Lilly USA, LLC
$180
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$174
ABBVIE INC.
$133
AbbVie Inc.
$110
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$93
Abbott Laboratories
$89
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$85
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$82
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$79
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$75
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$64
Exact Sciences Corporation
$60
Shield Therapeutics Inc
$57
Shire North American Group Inc
$55
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$55
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$42
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$33
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$29
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$28
Inari Medical, Inc.
$27
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$26
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$26
Zealand Pharma US, Inc.
$25
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$24
MannKind Corporation
$23
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$21
Ironshore Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$16
Valeritas, Inc.
$15
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$15
Almatica Pharma LLC
$14
Allergan, Inc.
$14
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$14
DEXCOM, INC.
$14
SHIELD THERAPEUTICS INC
$14
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$13
EISAI INC.
$13
Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
$12
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 34.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(8876) Vest Therapy Und · ACCRUFER · AFREZZA · ANORO ELLIPTA · AREXVY · Aimovig · BELBUCA · BREZTRI · Belviq · CAPLYTA · CHANTIX · CONTRAVE · Cologuard Collection Kit · DEXCOM G6 TRANSMITTER · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · ETERNA · EVENITY · FARXIGA · FLEXITOUCH · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · FreeStyle Libre 2 · Heplisav-B · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · Jornay PM 20mg capsules (Bottle of 100) · Kerendia · LINZESS · LOREEV XR · LYRICA · MENACTRA · MYDAYIS · MYRBETRIQ · Myrbetriq · NEXPLANON · NURTEC ODT · Ozempic · PREMARIN · PREVNAR - 13 · PREVNAR 13 · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Prolia · QUVIVIQ · REXULTI · Repatha · Rybelsus · S · SOLIQUA 100/33 · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · Saxenda · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TRULICITY · TRUMENBA · Tresiba · UBRELVY · V-GO · V-GO DISPOSABLE INSULIN DELIVERY · VOQUEZNA · VRAYLAR · VYVANSE · Vascepa · Veozah · Victoza · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
200
Per 100K population
123.4
County median income
$64,544
Nearest hospital
FRYE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
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. Sanderson is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 14% of NC peers, 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. Sanderson experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Sanderson performed 674 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Sanderson receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Sanderson received a total of $3,133 from 43 companies across 188 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. Sanderson's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Hickory?
Dr. Sanderson's average Medicare payment per service is $43. 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. Sanderson) 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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