Dr. Lauren Karbach, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Karbach
Dr. Lauren Karbach is a surgery of the hand specialist in San Antonio, TX, with 12 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Karbach performed 3,109 Medicare services across 1,797 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Karbach received a total of $7,085 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 33 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery of the hand. 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. Karbach is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
886 | $1 | $25 |
| 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. |
590 | $63 | $178 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
241 | $26 | $89 |
| 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. |
199 | $68 | $262 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
183 | $30 | $102 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
164 | $25 | $84 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
121 | $43 | $141 |
| X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
115 | $26 | $90 |
| 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. |
103 | $85 | $262 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
83 | $44 | $148 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
69 | $40 | $146 |
| Elbow X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
44 | $22 | $90 |
| 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. |
34 | $134 | $500 |
| Elbow X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint using two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
33 | $23 | $78 |
| Incision of finger tendon sheath A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon. |
29 | $169 | $2,670 |
| Endoscopic release of wrist ligament A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera to cut and release ligaments in the wrist. |
29 | $357 | $2,503 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
28 | $40 | $127 |
| MRI of arm joint, without contrast An MRI scan uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the arm joint. This specific procedure is performed without the use of a contrast dye. |
28 | $99 | $680 |
| Elbow to finger cast application Application of a cast extending from the elbow to the fingers to immobilize the arm. |
27 | $63 | $169 |
| Adult short arm fiberglass cast supplies Materials used to apply a short arm cast made of fiberglass for patients aged 11 and older. |
26 | $18 | $25 |
| CT scan of arm, without contrast A CT scan of the arm that uses X-rays to create detailed images of the arm's internal structures without the use of contrast dye. |
18 | $76 | $464 |
| Adult fiberglass short arm splint supplies Materials for creating a fiberglass splint for an adult's short arm. |
18 | $11 | $16 |
| 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. |
17 | $104 | $400 |
| Nonremovable forearm to hand splint application A healthcare provider applies a rigid splint that extends from the forearm to the hand to immobilize and support the area. |
13 | $47 | $125 |
| MRI of arm without contrast An MRI scan of the arm that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of internal structures without the use of contrast dye. |
11 | $190 | $834 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2022 ↗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 (2022)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (88%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
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 2022 |
| 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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Karbach is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Karbach experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Does Dr. Karbach receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Karbach's costs compare to other surgery of the hands in San Antonio?
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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. The Transparency Score measures 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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