Dr. John Whalen, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Whalen
Dr. John Whalen is an orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician in Albany, NY, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Whalen performed 1,063 Medicare services across 930 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Whalen received a total of $865 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 17 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic surgery of the spine 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. Whalen 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
125 | $33 | $91 |
| 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. |
106 | $23 | $60 |
| 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. |
106 | $89 | $248 |
| 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. |
99 | $25 | $66 |
| 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. |
89 | $26 | $71 |
| 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. |
54 | $19 | $51 |
| 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. |
50 | $18 | $49 |
| MRI of lower spine, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the lower spinal canal that does not use contrast dye to create detailed images of the spine. |
45 | $75 | $266 |
| 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. |
44 | $63 | $176 |
| Knee X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
40 | $19 | $50 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
35 | $27 | $69 |
| 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. |
35 | $62 | $161 |
| 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. |
34 | $34 | $95 |
| 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. |
33 | $21 | $55 |
| 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. |
21 | $19 | $51 |
| 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. |
19 | $23 | $63 |
| 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. |
18 | $24 | $64 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
16 | $783 | $2,131 |
| 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. |
15 | $19 | $51 |
| 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. |
15 | $137 | $349 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
14 | $192 | $490 |
| Surgical repair of broken thigh bone with implant A surgical procedure to fix a fractured femur by using a bone implant to stabilize the broken bone. |
14 | $931 | $2,375 |
| 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. |
14 | $100 | $323 |
| Lower back spinal fusion with bone and disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae in the lower back. It involves removing part of the spine bone and a disc to stabilize the area. |
11 | $1,361 | $3,472 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release during fusion This procedure involves removing part of the bone in a single segment of the lower spine to release the spinal cord or nerves, performed during a spinal fusion. |
11 | $193 | $491 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
4.6 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. Whalen is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 15% in NY), 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. Whalen experienced with x-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views?
Does Dr. Whalen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Whalen's costs compare to other orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians in Albany?
What does Data Coverage mean?
Is this data up to date?
Explore related providers
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