Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Craig Kuhns, MD
Orthopedic Surgery · Austin, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Kuhns 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. Kuhns?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Kuhns
Dr. Craig Kuhns is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Austin, TX, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kuhns performed 1,036 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kuhns received a total of $1,808,586 from 29 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 465 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. Kuhns 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.
✓ 20 years of NPI registration
▲ 1,036 Medicare services
$1,808,586 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗1,036
Medicare services
Bottom 48% in TX for orthopedic surgery
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$273
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
278 | $96 | $206 |
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
133 | $301 | $1,228 |
| 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. |
107 | $129 | $320 |
| X-ray of entire middle and lower spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the entire middle and lower spine to visualize the bones and structures in these areas. |
104 | $56 | $190 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
85 | $196 | $826 |
| Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with partial disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse the lower spine bones by accessing the area through the abdomen and partially removing a spinal disc. |
37 | $629 | $4,710 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 36 | $1,209 | $4,880 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
36 | $162 | $666 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
28 | $702 | $3,353 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
26 | $587 | $2,395 |
| 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. |
25 | $32 | $124 |
| Anterior spinal fusion with partial disc removal, each additional disc This procedure involves fusing spine bones together through an incision in the front of the body, with partial removal of the disc, for each additional disc treated. |
23 | $242 | $1,055 |
| Placement of stabilizing device to back of 1 spine bone in neck A procedure involving the placement of a stabilizing device on the back of a single vertebra in the neck. |
22 | $583 | $2,392 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using 4 to 5 different views to visualize the bones and structures in that area. |
21 | $42 | $160 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
20 | $517 | $2,311 |
| Spinal fusion with disc removal and nerve release, 1 disc This surgery connects two or more vertebrae in the upper spine to stabilize the area. It involves removing a damaged disc and relieving pressure on the spinal cord or nerve. |
16 | $1,334 | $5,330 |
| Spinal fusion of neck, posterior approach A surgical procedure to join two or more vertebrae in the cervical spine using a back approach to stabilize the neck. |
16 | $681 | $3,896 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment Surgical removal of part of the spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves in one segment. |
12 | $641 | $3,888 |
| Computer-assisted spinal procedure A surgical or diagnostic procedure involving the spine that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning, navigation, or execution. |
11 | $177 | $747 |
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.
33.4% high complexity
0.0% medium
66.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$1,808,586
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $258,369/year across 7 years
Top 1% in TX for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
29
Companies
465
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
$533,746
2023
$437,468
2022
$337,480
2021
$240,644
2020
$144,613
2019
$76,710
2018
$37,925
Payments by company (2024)
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$508,601
Globus Medical, Inc.
$23,631
SI-BONE, INC.
$699
Medtronic, Inc.
$364
Abbott Laboratories
$143
Cerapedics Inc.
$108
XTANT MEDICAL INC
$107
SPINEART USA INC
$93
Top 3 companies account for 99.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$1,621,360
NuVasive, Inc.
$75,723
Spineology Inc.
$49,646
Globus Medical, Inc.
$24,365
Stryker Corporation
$13,467
SPINEART USA INC
$6,276
RTI Surgical, Inc.
$5,878
Cerapedics, Inc.
$2,911
SI-BONE, INC.
$1,912
Arthrex, Inc.
$1,548
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$1,358
SI-BONE, Inc.
$1,280
Medinc of Texas
$725
Medtronic, Inc.
$364
Abbott Laboratories
$287
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$255
PROVIDENCE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
$217
Abyrx, Inc
$213
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$182
Providence Medical Technology, Inc.
$125
Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc
$112
Cerapedics Inc.
$108
XTANT MEDICAL INC
$107
Carlsmed, Inc.
$62
SEASPINE ORTHOPEDICS CORPORATION
$30
Centinel Spine, LLC
$26
Olympus America Inc.
$20
Misonix Inc
$16
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 96.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
7D Surgical System · ALEUTIAN INTERBODY SYSTEMS · ALEUTIAN LATERAL · ALTERA · ANCHOR C · ANCHOR L · Arsenal · Arsenal Deformity · BIO4 · Battalion TLIF - PC · BoneScalpel · C360 · CALIBER-L · CAPRI · CAPRI CERVICAL 3D EXPANDABLE CORPECTOMY · CAPRI CORPECTOMY CAGE SYSTEM · CASCADIA · CASCADIA INTERBODY SYSTEM · CAVUX Cervical Cage · CD HORIZON · CLARITY RETRACTOR SYSTEM-LATERAL · CORPECTOMY CAGE · ES2 · ES2 SPINAL SYSTEM · EVEREST · EVEREST MI · EVEREST XT · GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION · I-FACTOR PEPTIDE ENHANCED BONE GRAFT · IFUSE IMPLANT · INFINITY OCCIPITOCERVICAL UPPER THORACIC SYSTEM · INVICTUS OPEN · IVS - VERTEBRAL AUGMENTATION PRODUCTS · IdentiTi · Intracept · Invictus MIS · Invictus OPEN · KODIAK · Kodiak Arsenal · LIF · MESA SPINAL SYSTEM · MazorX - Renaissance · Multiple Products · N/A · NONE · NVM5 · Novel · OASYS · OCTRODE · OsseoScrew · Other - Miscellaneous · PERLA C · PERLA TL · PROCLAIM · PRODISC L · PrimaGen · Pro Osteon · Prodigy Family of SCS IPGs · Pulse · RELINE · ROMEO 2 · Rampart Duo Interbody Fusion System · SACRLET AC-T INSTRUMENTATION · SCARLET AL-T · SPY-PHI SYSTEM · SYMPHONY · Simplify Cervical Artificial Disc · Solus ALIF · Spine · TLIF · TRITANIUM · Teligen · UNID_PASS · VIVIGEN MIS DELIVERY SYSTEM · Walter · XIA · XIA 3 · XLIF · YUKON · aprevo · iFuse Implant · iGA
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
127
County median income
$97,169
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
ASCENSION SETON MEDICAL CENTER AUSTIN
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. Kuhns is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with 20 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. Kuhns experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kuhns performed 278 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Kuhns receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kuhns received a total of $1,808,586 from 29 companies across 465 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. Kuhns's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Austin?
Dr. Kuhns's average Medicare payment per service is $273. 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. Kuhns) 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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