Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Kai Bickenbach, MD
Surgery · Morristown, NJ
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. Bickenbach 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. Bickenbach
Dr. Kai Bickenbach is a surgery specialist in Morristown, NJ, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Bickenbach performed 1,015 Medicare services across 831 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Bickenbach received a total of $7,376 from 46 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 273 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. 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. Bickenbach 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.
✓ 17 years in practice
▲ Top 6% volume in NJ
$7,376 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,015
Medicare services
Top 6% in NJ for surgery
831
Unique beneficiaries
$142
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~60 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 (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. |
225 | $47 | $150 |
| 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. |
188 | $139 | $551 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an established patient with straightforward or low-level medical decision making. The visit requires at least 25 minutes of time spent on the day of service. |
166 | $42 | $129 |
| 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. |
54 | $140 | $733 |
| Complicated wound repair, scalp/arms/legs, 2.6-7.5 cm A complex surgical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters in length. |
29 | $195 | $1,020 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 25 | $166 | $691 |
| Abdominal wall repair with graft Surgical repair of the abdominal wall using a graft made from the abdominal lining. |
24 | $215 | $1,074 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
23 | $110 | $449 |
| Surgical removal of large skin cancer growth Surgical excision of a malignant skin lesion located on the body, arms, or legs that measures more than 4.0 centimeters in diameter. |
22 | $210 | $1,187 |
| Muscle graft to trunk A surgical procedure involving the creation and placement of a muscle graft onto the trunk. |
22 | $548 | $4,706 |
| 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. |
22 | $76 | $247 |
| Abdominal endoscopy A diagnostic procedure using an endoscope to examine the abdomen. |
21 | $104 | $977 |
| Surgical removal of skin cancer, 3.1-4.0 cm This procedure involves the surgical excision of a cancerous skin growth located on the body, arms, or legs. The size of the removed tissue is between 3.1 and 4.0 centimeters. |
20 | $93 | $824 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
19 | $8 | $15 |
| Complicated wound repair, each additional 5 cm or less This code covers the additional work for a complex surgical repair of a wound on the scalp, arms, or legs when the repair extends beyond the initial measurement. It is billed for each incremental 5-centimeter segment added to the primary procedure. |
18 | $71 | $327 |
| Partial thickness skin graft, face or other areas, 100 sq cm or less A surgical procedure where a thin layer of skin is taken from a donor site and applied to a wound on the face, scalp, or other specified body areas. This specific code applies to grafts covering 100 square centimeters or 1% of body area in infants and children. |
18 | $537 | $2,589 |
| 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. |
17 | $95 | $364 |
| Complicated wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm A complex surgical procedure to close a wound measuring between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters on areas such as the face, neck, hands, or feet. |
15 | $211 | $1,174 |
| Surgical removal of large skin cancer growth Surgical excision of a skin cancer lesion larger than 4.0 cm located on the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. |
14 | $172 | $1,089 |
| Complicated wound repair of trunk, 2.6-7.5 cm A surgical procedure to close a complex wound on the trunk that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters in length. |
13 | $157 | $951 |
| Deep underarm lymph node biopsy or removal A procedure to remove or sample deep lymph nodes located in the underarm area for examination. |
13 | $385 | $1,619 |
| Central venous port insertion A surgical procedure to place a small reservoir under the skin for long-term access to the bloodstream. The device is connected to a vein to allow for repeated medication administration or blood draws. |
12 | $249 | $1,250 |
| Partial removal of pancreas, bile duct, and small bowel with connection Surgical removal of part of the pancreas, bile duct, and small intestine, followed by reconnecting the pancreas to the small bowel. |
12 | $1,906 | $9,498 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for central vein access device Use of live X-ray imaging to guide the placement or removal of a central vein access device. |
12 | $15 | $62 |
| Removal of abdominal lymph nodes Surgical removal of lymph nodes located in the abdomen. This procedure involves excising lymphatic tissue from the abdominal region. |
11 | $139 | $753 |
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 ↗$7,376
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,054/year across 7 years
Top 21% in NJ for surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
46
Companies
273
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
$4,936 (66.9%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$2,440 (33.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$3,206
2023
$943
2022
$849
2021
$919
2020
$304
2019
$399
2018
$757
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$2,440
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$367
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$124
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$91
Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.
$55
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$43
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$18
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$17
Eisai Inc.
$17
PFIZER INC.
$17
Galvanize Therapeutics, Inc
$16
Top 3 companies account for 91.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$2,469
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$1,318
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$614
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$397
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$255
Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.
$234
GENZYME CORPORATION
$204
Seagen Inc.
$200
Amgen Inc.
$153
Boston Scientific Corporation
$119
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$108
Eisai Inc.
$104
Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.
$94
Incyte Corporation
$86
Genentech USA, Inc.
$83
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$80
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$67
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$60
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$56
PFIZER INC.
$47
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$43
EISAI INC.
$43
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$42
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$41
AbbVie, Inc.
$38
Acera Surgical, Inc.
$37
Sirtex Medical Inc
$32
ABBVIE INC.
$31
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$29
Puma Biotechnology, Inc.
$27
Celgene Corporation
$26
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$23
Derma Sciences, Inc.
$20
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$17
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$17
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$17
Galvanize Therapeutics, Inc
$16
Foundation Medicine, Inc.
$15
Pharmacyclics LLC, An AbbVie Company
$15
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$15
Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company
$15
TESARO, Inc.
$15
AbbVie Inc.
$14
Exelixis Inc.
$14
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$13
Lilly USA, LLC
$11
Top 3 companies account for 59.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AFINITOR · ALIYA SYSTEM · AMNIOEXCEL · Alecensa · Aliqopa · Aranesp · Blincyto · CABOMETYX · CERDELGA · CEREZYME · COSELA · CREON · Creon · DARZALEX · ELIQUIS · ELITEK · ENHERTU · Enhertu · Erivedge · Erleada · FOUNDATIONONE · Fabhalta · GILOTRIF · IBRANCE · IMBRUVICA · IMFINZI · IMLYGIC · INJECTAFER · INREBIC · JAKAFI · KEYTRUDA · KISQALI · KRAZATI · LIBTAYO · LIBTAYO CEMIPLIMAB-RWLC INJECTION · LINZESS · Lenvima · MEKINIST · MONJUVI · Nerlynx · OPDIVO · Odomzo · Orserdu · PADCEV · PIQRAY · PROMACTA · Prolia · Restrata Wound Matrix · Revlimid · SARCLISA · SIR-Spheres Microspheres · SPRYCEL · SPYGLASS · SYNECOR Biomaterial · Stivarga · TAGRISSO · TASIGNA · TUKYSA · VENCLEXTA · VERZENIO · VOTRIENT · VYXEOS · XARELTO · XOSPATA · XPOVIO · Xermelo · Xospata · YONSA · ZEJULA · ZEPZELCA
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 (67%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Surgerists within 10 mi
399
Per 100K population
78.2
County median income
$134,929
Nearest hospital
GREYSTONE PARK PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL
4.7 mi
4.7 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. Bickenbach is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in NJ), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 17 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. Bickenbach experienced with office visit, established patient (10-19 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Bickenbach performed 225 office visit, established patient (10-19 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. Bickenbach receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Bickenbach received a total of $7,376 from 46 companies across 273 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. Bickenbach's costs compare to other surgerists in Morristown?
Dr. Bickenbach's average Medicare payment per service is $142. 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. Bickenbach) 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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