Dr. Richard Whipple, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Whipple
Dr. Richard Whipple is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Albany, NY, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Whipple performed 1,377 Medicare services across 1,140 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Whipple received a total of $5,383 from 8 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 22 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand 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. Whipple 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
249 | $89 | $190 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
177 | $1 | $5 |
| 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. |
166 | $110 | $290 |
| 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. |
140 | $62 | $135 |
| X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
119 | $27 | $65 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
95 | $39 | $126 |
| 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. |
67 | $24 | $88 |
| Endoscopic release of wrist ligament A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera to cut and release ligaments in the wrist. |
54 | $384 | $1,907 |
| Wrist X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the wrist using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
49 | $24 | $60 |
| Incision of finger tendon sheath A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon. |
32 | $172 | $1,500 |
| 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. |
32 | $75 | $189 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
31 | $46 | $139 |
| 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. |
22 | $28 | $67 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
21 | $41 | $119 |
| 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. |
20 | $30 | $64 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
16 | $37 | $103 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
16 | $89 | $250 |
| Elbow to finger cast application Application of a cast extending from the elbow to the fingers to immobilize the arm. |
15 | $67 | $169 |
| MRI of arm joint, without contrast An MRI scan uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the arm joint. This specific procedure is performed without the use of a contrast dye. |
15 | $125 | $1,467 |
| Adult short arm fiberglass cast supplies Materials used to apply a short arm cast made of fiberglass for patients aged 11 and older. |
15 | $18 | $25 |
| Elbow X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint using two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
14 | $22 | $66 |
| 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. |
12 | $36 | $140 |
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 (68%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
2.0 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. Whipple is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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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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