Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Karen Bucher, D.O.
Family Medicine · Pittsburgh, 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. Bucher 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 →
Are you Dr. Bucher?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Bucher
Dr. Karen Bucher is a family medicine specialist in Pittsburgh, PA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Bucher performed 1,769 Medicare services across 1,294 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Bucher received a total of $622 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 35 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family 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. Bucher 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.
✓ 13 years in practice
▲ Top 10% volume in PA
$622 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,769
Medicare services
Top 10% in PA for family medicine
1,294
Unique beneficiaries
$45
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~136 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 (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. |
262 | $79 | $165 |
| 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. |
141 | $60 | $115 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
137 | $8 | $28 |
| Liver function blood test panel | 104 | $8 | $27 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
103 | $8 | $10 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
85 | $13 | $42 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
82 | $122 | $219 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
75 | $10 | $42 |
| Annual depression screening | 57 | $17 | $24 |
| 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. |
55 | $51 | $123 |
| Nursing facility visit, moderate complexity A follow-up visit by a healthcare provider at a nursing facility for an established patient. The visit involves moderate medical decision making and takes at least 30 minutes. |
45 | $67 | $121 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
44 | $16 | $58 |
| Annual alcohol misuse screening, 5 to 15 minutes | 44 | $17 | $24 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
40 | $8 | $68 |
| 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. |
40 | $133 | $251 |
| Hospital discharge management, 30+ min This service covers the care provided by a physician or qualified healthcare professional on the day a patient is discharged from the hospital. It requires more than 30 minutes of total time spent on the day of discharge. |
39 | $87 | $146 |
| Complete blood count (CBC), automated An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood. |
31 | $6 | $19 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
29 | $7 | $26 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
29 | $29 | $50 |
| Urine microalbumin test (kidney screening) A laboratory test that measures the amount of microalbumin, a small protein, in a urine sample. This test is used to detect early signs of kidney damage. |
27 | $6 | $20 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
27 | $5 | $12 |
| Ferritin level test (iron stores) A blood test that measures the level of ferritin, a protein that stores iron in the body. |
26 | $12 | $43 |
| Iron level test | 26 | $6 | $23 |
| Iron binding capacity test A blood test that measures the amount of iron in the blood and the blood's ability to bind and transport iron. |
26 | $8 | $28 |
| Transitional care management, high complexity Coordination of care for a patient transitioning from a short-term hospital stay or other facility to home or another care setting. This service addresses a high-complexity medical problem. |
25 | $201 | $356 |
| Annual intensive behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease, 15 minutes A yearly, in-person session focused on intensive behavioral therapy to help manage cardiovascular disease. The session lasts for 15 minutes and is conducted with the patient individually. |
24 | $25 | $34 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
20 | $29 | $65 |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) An intramuscular injection of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It is used to protect against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. |
19 | $282 | $394 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
17 | $9 | $55 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
17 | $29 | $41 |
| Quadrivalent influenza vaccine, preservative-free A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus, formulated without preservatives, administered in a 0.5 ml dose. |
16 | $22 | $30 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
15 | $10 | $36 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
15 | $15 | $52 |
| Transitional care management services, moderate complexity Services provided to coordinate care during the transition from an inpatient or other facility setting back to the community. This includes follow-up and management of a health problem of at least moderate complexity. |
15 | $145 | $265 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
12 | $72 | $110 |
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 ↗$622
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $124/year across 5 years
Top 38% in PA for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
14
Companies
35
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
$622 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$323
2023
$182
2022
$94
2021
$13
2018
$11
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novo Nordisk Inc
$61
Lilly USA, LLC
$56
Abbott Laboratories
$44
PFIZER INC.
$40
Amgen Inc.
$30
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$29
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$18
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$18
Dexcom, Inc.
$14
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$14
Top 3 companies account for 50.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novo Nordisk Inc
$116
Abbott Laboratories
$110
PFIZER INC.
$89
Lilly USA, LLC
$56
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$53
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$47
Amgen Inc.
$30
Boston Scientific Corporation
$26
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$19
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$18
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$18
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$14
Dexcom, Inc.
$14
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 50.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AREXVY · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · EVENITY · FARXIGA · FREESTYLE LIBRE · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · Flexitouch Plus · General - Pain Management · JARDIANCE · LATUDA · MOUNJARO · ONZETRA XSAIL · Ozempic · PAXLOVID · PREVNAR 20 · Rybelsus · SPRAVATO · TRADJENTA · Wegovy · ZEPBOUND
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.
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
792
Per 100K population
63.8
County median income
$76,393
Nearest hospital
UPMC PASSAVANT
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. Bucher is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 10% in PA), with low-engagement industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Bucher experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Bucher performed 262 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Bucher receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Bucher received a total of $622 from 14 companies across 35 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. Bucher's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Pittsburgh?
Dr. Bucher's average Medicare payment per service is $45. 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. Bucher) 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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