Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Martin Blidner, MD
Rheumatology · Wilkes Barre, PA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
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. Blidner 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. Blidner
Dr. Martin Blidner is a rheumatology specialist in Wilkes Barre, PA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Blidner performed 58,057 Medicare services across 1,384 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Blidner received a total of $66,204 from 38 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 852 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. 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. Blidner 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 21% volume in PA
$66,204 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗58,057
Medicare services
Top 21% in PA for rheumatology
1,384
Unique beneficiaries
$18
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~3,056 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golimumab infusion (Simponi Aria) Administration of golimumab medication directly into a vein. This code specifies the dosage amount of 1 milligram for intravenous delivery. |
37,600 | $11 | $50 |
| Abatacept infusion (Orencia) An injection of abatacept administered under the direct supervision of a physician. This code is used for Medicare when the drug is not self-administered. |
10,350 | $34 | $55 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 4,983 | $18 | $40 |
| Extended-release steroid injection (Zilretta) An injection of triamcinolone acetonide using a preservative-free, extended-release microsphere formulation. The dosage is measured in milligrams. |
832 | $13 | $25 |
| 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. |
750 | $88 | $151 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
597 | $1 | $6 |
| Chronic care management, additional 20 min/month This service covers an extra 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional for managing two or more chronic conditions each calendar month. |
488 | $36 | $50 |
| Normal saline infusion, 250 cc Administration of 250 cubic centimeters of normal saline solution into a vein. This procedure involves the intravenous delivery of a sterile saltwater fluid. |
455 | $1 | $20 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
454 | $99 | $250 |
| Chronic care management, first 20 min/month This service covers the first 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional each calendar month to manage chronic conditions. |
404 | $48 | $69 |
| 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. |
363 | $62 | $112 |
| Non-hormonal chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy medication via injection into the skin or muscle tissue. |
179 | $55 | $100 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
132 | $49 | $151 |
| Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period. |
118 | $22 | $250 |
| Advance care planning consultation, first 30 min A session focused on discussing and documenting future healthcare preferences and goals. This service covers the initial 30 minutes of the planning discussion. |
89 | $64 | $125 |
| Additional chronic care management time, 60 minutes This service covers an additional 60 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional for managing two or more chronic conditions, billed per calendar month. |
61 | $54 | $75 |
| 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. |
52 | $14 | $58 |
| 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. |
44 | $118 | $235 |
| Complex chronic care management, first 60 minutes This service involves clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional to manage two or more chronic conditions over a calendar month. It covers the first 60 minutes of this coordinated care effort. |
27 | $96 | $135 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
22 | $41 | $132 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
20 | $36 | $121 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
13 | $11 | $25 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
13 | $46 | $75 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
11 | $102 | $292 |
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.
84.2% high complexity
11.9% medium
4.0% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$66,204
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $9,458/year across 7 years
Top 10% in PA for rheumatology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
38
Companies
852
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.
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$48,504 (73.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$11,404 (17.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$6,296 (9.5%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,354
2023
$1,319
2022
$787
2021
$2,591
2020
$6,464
2019
$24,064
2018
$29,625
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Amgen Inc.
$342
ABBVIE INC.
$339
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$243
UCB, Inc.
$123
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$79
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$73
Organon Llc
$53
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$37
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$22
PFIZER INC.
$15
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$14
Lilly USA, LLC
$13
Top 3 companies account for 68.2% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Celgene Corporation
$26,590
AbbVie, Inc.
$11,255
Amgen Inc.
$7,570
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$7,257
Mallinckrodt LLC
$2,836
AbbVie Inc.
$2,479
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,729
PFIZER INC.
$1,122
Genentech USA, Inc.
$673
ABBVIE INC.
$605
Lilly USA, LLC
$529
UCB, Inc.
$461
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$409
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$389
Radius Health, Inc.
$388
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$332
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$255
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$201
GENZYME CORPORATION
$169
ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$158
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$128
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$97
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$85
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$70
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$62
Organon Llc
$53
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$48
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$38
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$36
HOSPIRA, INC.
$31
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$28
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$25
Organon LLC
$20
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$20
Oxford Immunotec USA Inc
$16
MEDAC PHARMA, INC.
$15
Bioventus LLC
$13
Novo Nordisk Inc
$13
Top 3 companies account for 68.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · AMJEVITA · AVSOLA · Actemra · Aimovig · BENLYSTA · Bimzelx · COSENTYX · Cimzia · Corlanor · Durolane · EUFLEXXA · EVENITY · Enbrel · FORTEO · HADLIMA · HUMIRA · Humira · INFLECTRA · KEVZARA · KRYSTEXXA · LUPKYNIS · LYRICA · MONOVISC · OFEV · ORENCIA · ORTHOVISC · Otezla · Ozempic · PREVNAR - 13 · PREVNAR 13 · PURIFIED CORTROPHIN GEL · Prolia · RENFLEXIS · RINVOQ · Rasuvo · Repatha · Rinvoq · Rituxan · SAPHNELO · SIMPONI · SIMPONI ARIA · SKYRIZI · STELARA · SYNVISC-ONE · Strensiq · TALTZ · TAVNEOS · TREMFYA · TSPOT TB TEST · Tymlos · Uloric · XELJANZ · XOLAIR · Zilretta
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 →
The majority of payments (73%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in rheumatology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for rheumatology in PA.
Geographic Context
Rheumatologists within 10 mi
13
Per 100K population
4.0
County median income
$62,321
Nearest hospital
GEISINGER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER NORTHEAST
9.7 mi
9.7 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. Blidner is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 21% in PA), with speaking/promotional 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. Blidner experienced with golimumab infusion (simponi aria)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Blidner performed 37,600 golimumab infusion (simponi aria) 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. Blidner receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Blidner received a total of $66,204 from 38 companies across 852 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. Blidner's costs compare to other rheumatologists in Wilkes Barre?
Dr. Blidner's average Medicare payment per service is $18. 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. Blidner) 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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