Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Michael Drass, MD
Pain Medicine · Altoona, PA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Drass 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. Drass
Dr. Michael Drass is a pain medicine specialist in Altoona, PA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Drass performed 1,427 Medicare services across 1,044 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Drass received a total of $14,373 from 47 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 426 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain medicine. 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. Drass 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 22% volume in PA
$14,373 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,427
Medicare services
Top 22% in PA for pain medicine
1,044
Unique beneficiaries
$76
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~75 Medicare services per year of practice
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 (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. |
465 | $61 | $100 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
135 | $81 | $780 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
73 | $104 | $1,167 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
73 | $59 | $784 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
63 | $65 | $400 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals. |
60 | $218 | $800 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
59 | $69 | $480 |
| 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. |
53 | $78 | $200 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
49 | $86 | $624 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
37 | $113 | $1,054 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement. |
37 | $64 | $703 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It allows healthcare providers to examine the structure and blood flow within these arteries. |
36 | $62 | $250 |
| Autonomic nervous system function test This test evaluates how well the sympathetic nervous system is functioning. It assesses the automatic control of bodily processes such as heart rate and blood pressure. |
35 | $93 | $350 |
| Autonomic nervous system testing with heart rate response to deep breathing This test evaluates the function of the autonomic nervous system by measuring how the heart rate changes in response to deep breathing. |
32 | $66 | $250 |
| Trigger point injection, 1-2 muscles A procedure involving the injection of medication into one or two specific muscles to treat trigger points. |
31 | $33 | $160 |
| 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. |
29 | $72 | $140 |
| Spinal injection with imaging guidance A procedure where medication is injected into the middle or upper part of the spinal canal. Imaging technology is used to guide the needle to the correct location. |
28 | $80 | $480 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
28 | $10 | $150 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy the nerves supplying a single upper or middle spinal facet joint. It is performed to interrupt pain signals from that specific joint. |
27 | $192 | $800 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional upper or middle spinal facet joint. |
27 | $67 | $400 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
25 | $46 | $224 |
| Additional sedation, per 15 minutes Administration of a drug to deepen sedation during a procedure. This code covers each additional 15-minute increment of sedation beyond the initial period. |
14 | $8 | $50 |
| 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. |
11 | $43 | $250 |
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. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$14,373
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,053/year across 7 years
Top 10% in PA for pain medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
47
Companies
426
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$14,373 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,312
2023
$2,695
2022
$2,562
2021
$1,791
2020
$844
2019
$954
2018
$3,214
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$510
Abbott Laboratories
$350
Medtronic, Inc.
$251
MML US, Inc.
$237
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$167
ABBVIE INC.
$150
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$96
PFIZER INC.
$88
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$70
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$69
Lundbeck LLC
$50
SI-BONE, INC.
$45
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$41
Bioventus LLC
$39
Valinor Pharma, LLC
$33
PAINTEQ LLC
$28
AppliedVR Inc
$26
Nevro Corp.
$25
Spinal Simplicity, LLC
$24
Novo Nordisk Inc
$14
Top 3 companies account for 48.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$2,696
Abbott Laboratories
$2,246
Boston Scientific Corporation
$2,002
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$1,346
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,215
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$486
PFIZER INC.
$358
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$336
MML US, Inc.
$326
ABBVIE INC.
$292
Nevro Corp.
$278
Foundation Fusion Solutions, LLC
$255
Bioventus LLC
$226
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$219
US WorldMeds, LLC
$212
Lundbeck LLC
$210
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$201
AbbVie Inc.
$195
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$164
Allergan, Inc.
$108
GRT US Holding, Inc.
$106
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$89
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc.
$77
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$72
SI-BONE, Inc.
$69
Valinor Pharma, LLC
$55
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$51
SI-BONE, INC.
$45
Sentynl Therapeutics, Inc.
$41
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$41
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$41
Nuvectra Corporation
$36
Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc.
$35
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$29
PAINTEQ LLC
$28
AppliedVR Inc
$26
Spinal Simplicity, LLC
$24
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$18
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$15
Novo Nordisk Inc
$14
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$14
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
TRICE MEDICAL, INC.
$14
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$14
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$13
Horizon Pharma plc
$12
INSYS Therapeutics Inc
$11
Top 3 companies account for 48.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADAPTIVESTIM · AJOVY · Algovita · BOTOX · BUNAVAIL 2.1 mg 30-count box · Belbuca · DSUVIA · DUROLANE · Durolane · ETERNA · Exparel · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · General - Pain Management · HA MINUTEMAN G3-R · INFINION · INJECTAFER · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · Intracept · LYRICA · Levorphanol · Lucemyra/Lofexidine · MAVYRET · MOVANTIK · Morphabond ER · Movantik · NURTEC ODT · OCTRODE · Octrode SCS Leads · Omnia · PAINTEQ · PAXLOVID · PENNSAID · PRECISION · PROCLAIM · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · QULIPTA · QUTENZA · Qutenza · RELISTOR · ReActiv8 · RelieVRx · SPECTRA WA · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SPRINT PNS System · SUPERION · SYNDROS · Senza · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · Stimrouter Implantable Kit · Superion · Superion Indirect Decompression System · UBRELVY · VANTA ADAPTIVESTIM · VYEPTI · Vanta · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XTAMPZA · XTAMPZAER · Xeomin · Xtampza ER · ZTLido 30 POUCH in 1 CARTON 1 PATCH in 1 POUCH · iFuse Implant · mild Device Kit
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. 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 →
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for pain medicine in PA.
Geographic Context
Pain medicines within 10 mi
2
Per 100K population
1.6
County median income
$60,594
Nearest hospital
JAMES E. VAN ZANDT VA MEDICAL CENTER (ALTOONA)
0.0 mi
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. Drass is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 22% in PA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 10% of PA peers, 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
Is Dr. Drass experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Drass performed 465 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Drass receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Drass received a total of $14,373 from 47 companies across 426 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. 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. Drass's costs compare to other pain medicines in Altoona?
Dr. Drass's average Medicare payment per service is $76. 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. Drass) 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 a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. 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?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
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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