Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Karl Blum, MD
Sports Medicine (Orthopaedic Surgery) Physician · Toms River, 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. Blum 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. Blum
Dr. Karl Blum is a sports medicine physician in Toms River, NJ, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Blum performed 5,860 Medicare services across 3,766 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Blum received a total of $4,272 from 10 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 34 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in sports medicine (orthopaedic 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. Blum 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 12% volume in NJ
$4,272 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗5,860
Medicare services
Top 12% in NJ for sports medicine (orthopaedic surgery) physician
3,766
Unique beneficiaries
$63
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~293 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 1,173 | $6 | $28 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
1,108 | $61 | $155 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
741 | $40 | $162 |
| 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. |
641 | $71 | $125 |
| 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. |
272 | $47 | $85 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views An X-ray imaging test of the lower back and sacrum using at least four different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
264 | $45 | $219 |
| 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. |
259 | $29 | $158 |
| Hyaluronan gel injection for joint An injection of hyaluronan gel into a joint to supplement joint fluid. This procedure is administered as a single dose. |
236 | $405 | $1,400 |
| 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. |
211 | $39 | $175 |
| 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. |
181 | $87 | $132 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
109 | $1 | $14 |
| Pelvis X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the pelvic area using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
100 | $25 | $116 |
| 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. |
68 | $35 | $144 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
47 | $34 | $164 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 20 mg A 20 mg injection of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
44 | $5 | $18 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
37 | $103 | $275 |
| 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. |
34 | $32 | $129 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using 4 to 5 different views to visualize the bones and structures in that area. |
33 | $46 | $209 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
30 | $38 | $118 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints. |
30 | $28 | $159 |
| X-ray of both hips, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that captures two views of both hip joints to evaluate bone structure and alignment. |
25 | $36 | $185 |
| Trigger point injection, 1-2 muscles A procedure involving the injection of medication into one or two specific muscles to treat trigger points. |
24 | $40 | $248 |
| Elbow X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
23 | $26 | $131 |
| 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. |
23 | $28 | $129 |
| Total knee replacement | 20 | $1,108 | $7,358 |
| 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. |
20 | $33 | $118 |
| Total hip replacement Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components. |
18 | $1,091 | $7,139 |
| 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. |
18 | $62 | $95 |
| Initial hospital admission, low complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving straightforward or low-level medical decision making, with at least 40 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
16 | $69 | $158 |
| 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. |
15 | $34 | $118 |
| X-ray of both hips, 3-4 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 3 to 4 views of both hip joints to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
15 | $47 | $225 |
| 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. |
14 | $45 | $78 |
| 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. |
11 | $35 | $150 |
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.
0.6% high complexity
46.5% medium
52.9% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$4,272
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $610/year across 7 years
Top 45% in NJ for sports medicine (orthopaedic surgery) physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
10
Companies
34
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
$4,272 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$3,331
2023
$353
2022
$115
2021
$14
2020
$26
2019
$215
2018
$218
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$3,184
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$62
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$40
Nevro Corp.
$28
Advanced Oxygen Therapy Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 98.7% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$3,804
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$204
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$87
Nevro Corp.
$41
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$40
BAXTER HEALTHCARE
$33
SI-BONE, Inc.
$17
Advanced Oxygen Therapy Inc.
$17
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$15
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$15
Top 3 companies account for 95.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTIFUSE · ADES Dual Mobility · EUFLEXXA · EVOS · LCP · MONOVISC · MOTO UNI · Persona · Pico 14 · ROSA · SCP Bone Substitute · SYNVISC-ONE · Senza · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · Shoulder System · Topical Oxygen Chamber for extremities · iFuse Implant
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
Sports medicine physicians within 10 mi
12
Per 100K population
1.9
County median income
$86,411
Nearest hospital
COMMUNITY 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. Blum is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in NJ), 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. Blum experienced with injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Blum performed 1,173 injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg 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. Blum receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Blum received a total of $4,272 from 10 companies across 34 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. Blum's costs compare to other sports medicine physicians in Toms River?
Dr. Blum's average Medicare payment per service is $63. 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. Blum) 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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