Dr. Stephen Nicholas, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Nicholas
Dr. Stephen Nicholas is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Nyc, NY, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Nicholas performed 15,687 Medicare services across 2,237 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Nicholas received a total of $624,310 from 19 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 278 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Nicholas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint lubricant injection (TriVisc) An injection of hyaluronan or a derivative into a joint space. The dose specified is 1 milligram. |
10,251 | $7 | $20 |
| Hyaluronan joint injection, 1 mg An injection of hyaluronan or a derivative into a joint space to supplement joint fluid. |
1,960 | $9 | $15 |
| 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. |
1,034 | $75 | $103 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
524 | $0 | $15 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
476 | $70 | $110 |
| 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. |
212 | $31 | $43 |
| 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. |
177 | $87 | $128 |
| 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. |
169 | $30 | $41 |
| 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. |
146 | $36 | $50 |
| 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. |
127 | $97 | $144 |
| Pelvis X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the pelvic area that captures at least three different views to evaluate the bones and joints. |
96 | $37 | $49 |
| 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. |
78 | $35 | $50 |
| Hip X-ray, 1 view An X-ray image of the hip joint taken from a single angle to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
54 | $28 | $38 |
| 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. |
40 | $124 | $188 |
| 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. |
37 | $399 | $1,220 |
| 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. |
35 | $36 | $46 |
| 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. |
34 | $51 | $64 |
| 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. |
29 | $32 | $43 |
| Total knee replacement | 28 | $1,199 | $2,370 |
| 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. |
27 | $29 | $40 |
| Wrist X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the wrist using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
26 | $32 | $41 |
| 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. |
26 | $65 | $82 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
17 | $117 | $185 |
| Total hip replacement Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components. |
16 | $1,196 | $1,509 |
| Arthroscopic shoulder surgery for bone shaving and ligament repair A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera to shave part of the shoulder bone and repair a ligament. |
15 | $159 | $200 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
15 | $81 | $102 |
| Total shoulder joint prosthetic repair Surgical replacement of the shoulder joint with a prosthetic device. This procedure involves removing damaged joint components and inserting artificial parts to restore function. |
14 | $1,347 | $1,695 |
| Anchoring of biceps tendon | 12 | $438 | $879 |
| Arthroscopic removal of knee cartilage A minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove damaged or loose pieces of cartilage from the knee joint using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
12 | $489 | $640 |
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 ›
The majority of payments (86%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in orthopedic surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for orthopedic surgery in NY.
Geographic Context
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. Nicholas is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in NY), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 3% of NY peers, 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. Nicholas experienced with joint lubricant injection (trivisc)?
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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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