Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Alexander Hughes, M.D.

Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine Physician · New York, NY
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
523 E 72ND ST, New York, NY 10021
6467978195
Registered in NPPES since 2008
NPI: 1043488281 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Hughes 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. Hughes

Dr. Alexander Hughes is an orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician in New York, NY, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hughes performed 1,237 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hughes received a total of $1,181 from 6 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 9 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Hughes 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.

✓ 18 years of NPI registration ▲ Top 14% volume in NY $1,181 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary — 2023

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,237
Medicare services
Top 14% in NY for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$349
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →

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
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.
177 $141 $181
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.
129 $238 $305
Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment
This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment.
119 $194 $248
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.
114 $48 $65
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.
92 $77 $99
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.
82 $690 $1,315
Anterior spinal fusion with partial disc removal, each additional disc
This procedure involves fusing spine bones together through an incision in the front of the body, with partial removal of the disc, for each additional disc treated.
68 $290 $385
Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with partial disc removal
A surgical procedure to fuse the lower spine bones by accessing the area through the abdomen and partially removing a spinal disc.
40 $1,129 $1,807
Spinal fusion of additional segment
A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column.
39 $361 $463
Upper spine bone removal with nerve release, additional segment
Surgical removal of bone from the upper spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This code applies to each additional spinal segment treated beyond the first.
38 $245 $315
Release of upper leg nerve 36 $354 $880
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.
34 $1,577 $2,148
Spinal fusion with cage or mesh insertion
A surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space between the bones.
32 $311 $400
Musculoskeletal surgical navigation with imaging guidance
A surgical procedure that uses imaging technology to guide orthopedic operations on the musculoskeletal system.
31 $140 $178
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.
30 $239 $305
Self soft tissue graft
A surgical procedure where healthy tissue is taken from one part of the patient's body and transplanted to another area to repair or reconstruct damaged tissue.
29 $215 $549
Spinal fusion exploration
A surgical procedure to examine the site of a previous spinal fusion. The surgeon inspects the area to assess the status of the fusion and surrounding structures.
27 $429 $985
Harvest of bone fragment for spine bone graft
A surgical procedure to remove a piece of bone from the patient's body to be used as a graft during spine surgery.
26 $153 $206
Placement of stabilizing device to back of 1 spine bone in neck
A procedure involving the placement of a stabilizing device on the back of a single vertebra in the neck.
26 $698 $893
Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments
Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back.
24 $705 $903
Fusion of spine in lower back 16 $1,309 $1,862
Anterior cervical spine fusion with disc removal
Surgical procedure to fuse upper spine bones through the front of the neck, involving partial removal of the intervertebral disc.
14 $540 $1,534
Anterior removal of upper spine bone with nerve release, single segment
This procedure involves removing a bone from the upper spine through an anterior approach to release pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is performed on a single spinal segment.
14 $1,579 $2,103
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
34.7% high complexity
2.5% medium
62.8% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$1,181
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $197/year across 6 years
Bottom 14% in NY for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
6
Companies
9
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →

Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$136
2023
$143
2022
$432
2020
$122
2019
$152
2018
$195

Payments by company (2024)

4WEB, Inc.
$136
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
NuVasive, Inc.
$348
Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc
$288
Arteriocyte Medical Systems, Inc.
$144
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$143
4WEB, Inc.
$136
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$122
Top 3 companies account for 66.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AttraX · EXPAREL · LessRay · Magellan · OsteoStrand Plus · Pulse · SPINE TRUSS SYSTEM
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Looking for an orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician in New York?
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Geographic Context

Orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians in nearby ZIP areas
120
County median income
$104,553
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPES NPPES snapshot; verify current record
Medicare Enrollment PECOS PECOS snapshot
Practice Data Medicare Util. Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open Payments CY 2024
Disciplinary History — Not included 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. Hughes is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 14% in NY), with 18 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. Hughes experienced with new patient office visit (45-59 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hughes performed 177 new patient office visit (45-59 min) services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Hughes receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hughes received a total of $1,181 from 6 companies across 9 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. Hughes's costs compare to other orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians in New York?
Dr. Hughes's average Medicare payment per service is $349. 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. Hughes) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
About this page

This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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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Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Industry payment disclosure alone establishes neither wrongdoing nor legality. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →