Dr. Stephen Kovacs, D.O.
What this data tells you about Dr. Kovacs
Dr. Stephen Kovacs is a pulmonary disease specialist in Erie, PA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kovacs performed 964 Medicare services across 820 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kovacs received a total of $462,784 from 37 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 461 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pulmonary disease. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Kovacs 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary gas exchange test A test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases. |
110 | $6 | $14 |
| 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. |
109 | $90 | $210 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
103 | $93 | $235 |
| Lung volume test using sensors A test that measures the amount of air in the lungs using sensors. |
95 | $8 | $22 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
89 | $62 | $165 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
85 | $126 | $250 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
77 | $135 | $440 |
| Expiratory airflow and volume test A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed at which you can breathe it out. It evaluates lung function by assessing expiratory airflow and volume. |
71 | $6 | $77 |
| Spirometry test before and after medication A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed of your breathing before and after taking a medication. |
52 | $8 | $77 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 36 | $166 | $270 |
| Exercise-induced lung stress test A test performed to evaluate how the lungs function during physical exertion. It helps identify breathing difficulties or lung conditions that occur specifically when exercising. |
31 | $25 | $75 |
| Bronchial irrigation and suction for cell collection This procedure uses an endoscope to flush and suction the lung airways in order to collect cells for testing. |
27 | $11 | $562 |
| Lung biopsy via endoscope, 1 lobe A procedure to remove a small sample of lung tissue from one lobe using an endoscope for examination. |
18 | $37 | $69 |
| Smoking cessation counseling, 4-10 minutes A brief counseling session focused on helping patients quit smoking and tobacco use. The provider spends 4 to 10 minutes discussing strategies and support for cessation. |
18 | $14 | $27 |
| Computer-assisted navigation of lung airways This procedure uses computer technology to guide an endoscope through the airways of the lungs for precise navigation. |
17 | $74 | $2,250 |
| Endoscopic needle biopsy of windpipe, airway, or lung A procedure where a needle is inserted through an endoscope to collect tissue samples from the windpipe, airway, or lung. |
15 | $139 | $600 |
| Bronchoscopy with ultrasound and lymph node sampling A procedure using an endoscope and ultrasound to examine the lung airways and collect samples from 1 to 2 lymph nodes. |
11 | $116 | $1,900 |
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 (90%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for pulmonary disease in PA.
Geographic Context
2.3 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. Kovacs is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 30% in PA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 1% 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
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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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