Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Stephen Nicholas, MD
Orthopedic Surgery · Nyc, NY
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
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. Nicholas 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. Nicholas
Dr. Stephen Nicholas is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Nyc, NY, with 21 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Nicholas performed 15,687 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Nicholas received a total of $624,310 from 19 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 278 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. 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.
✓ 21 years of NPI registration
▲ Top 1% volume in NY
$624,310 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗15,687
Medicare services
Top 1% in NY for orthopedic surgery
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$24
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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.
0.4% high complexity
84.6% medium
15.1% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$624,310
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $89,187/year across 7 years
Top 3% in NY for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
19
Companies
278
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
$87,577
2023
$67,642
2022
$71,368
2021
$76,578
2020
$99,023
2019
$102,208
2018
$119,914
Payments by company (2024)
Gotham Surgical Solutions & Devices, Inc.
$72,652
Arthrex, Inc.
$13,072
Suvon Surgical Llc
$772
Sanara MedTech Inc.
$616
PolyNovo North America LLC
$214
DJO, LLC
$115
LifeNet Health
$103
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$34
Top 3 companies account for 98.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Arthrex, Inc.
$366,800
Gotham Surgical Solutions & Devices, Inc.
$251,620
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$1,169
Stryker Corporation
$1,157
Suvon Surgical Llc
$772
Sanara MedTech Inc.
$616
DJO, LLC
$419
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$407
LifeNet Health
$241
Globus Medical, Inc.
$236
PolyNovo North America LLC
$214
Joint Restoration Foundation, Inc.
$209
SUVON SURGICAL LLC
$205
Lifenet Health
$114
SI-BONE, INC.
$52
Nevro Corp.
$33
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$19
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$19
Myoscience Inc.
$7
Top 3 companies account for 99.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCOLADE · ANTHEM · ARTHREX · ARTHROPLASTY IMPLANTS KNEE & HIP ARTHROPLASTY TOTAL KNEE · ARTHROPLASTY IMPLANTS KNEE ARTHROPLASTY TOTAL KNEE · ARTHROPLASTY IMPLANTS TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY TOTAL KNEE · ARTHROPLASTY INSTRUMENTS KNEE & HIP ARTHROPLASTY SPORTKNEE · ASNIS · Arthrex · BLUEPRINT PATIENT SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTATION · CMF · CellerateRx · Clavicular Fracture Fixation · DISTAL EXTREMITIES INSTRUMENTS TRAUMA UPPER EXTREMITY TRAUMA · DYNACORD · DualLink · EUFLEXXA · GraftLink · GraftLink TS · ICONIX · MAKO · NOVOSORB BTM · ORTHOVISC · Omnia · PENNSAID · PROCARE Bracing & Supports · Proximal Humerus Strut · REUNION · ROSA-Knee · SAW GUIDE · Taperloc · Tricera Handpiece · VARIAX
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 →
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons in nearby ZIP areas
987
County median income
$104,553
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY
0.0 mi
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. Nicholas is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in NY), with 21 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)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Nicholas performed 10,251 joint lubricant injection (trivisc) 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. Nicholas receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Nicholas received a total of $624,310 from 19 companies across 278 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. Nicholas's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Nyc?
Dr. Nicholas's average Medicare payment per service is $24. 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. Nicholas) 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 →
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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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