Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Braden Hartline, M.D.

Orthopedic Surgery · The Woodlands, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
9305 PINECROFT DR STE 400, The Woodlands, TX 77380
7134868800
In practice since 2014 (12 years)
NPI: 1881011351 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Hartline 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. Hartline

Dr. Braden Hartline is an orthopedic surgery specialist in The Woodlands, TX, with 12 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hartline performed 1,572 Medicare services across 857 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hartline received a total of $17,531 from 9 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 105 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. 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. Hartline 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.

✓ 12 years in practice ▲ Top 40% volume in TX $17,531 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,572
Medicare services
Top 40% in TX for orthopedic surgery
857
Unique beneficiaries
$73
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~131 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
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
572 $1 $6
Knee X-ray, 3 views
An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint that captures three different angles to evaluate the bones and surrounding structures.
232 $29 $133
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.
180 $61 $223
Hip X-ray, 2-3 views
An X-ray imaging test of the hip joint using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures.
161 $33 $126
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
73 $47 $347
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.
67 $74 $240
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.
49 $91 $317
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.
37 $28 $160
Total knee replacement 35 $1,005 $7,566
Total hip replacement
Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components.
34 $984 $9,224
Vacuum-assisted wound closure therapy, 50 sq cm or less
A therapy using a special bandage and vacuum pump to treat a wound surface area of 50.0 square centimeters or less.
29 $19 $123
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.
26 $106 $379
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
25 $36 $139
Negative pressure wound therapy, 50 sq cm or less
A therapy using a special bandage, vacuum pump, and disposable equipment to treat a wound surface area of 50.0 square centimeters or less.
23 $17 $874
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.
16 $135 $519
Musculoskeletal surgical navigation with imaging guidance
A surgical procedure that uses imaging technology to guide orthopedic operations on the musculoskeletal system.
13 $176 $1,100
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.
4.4% high complexity
41.9% medium
53.8% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$17,531
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $2,922/year across 6 years
Top 23% in TX for orthopedic surgery
9
Companies
105
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
$9,787 (55.8%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$7,744 (44.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$719
2023
$2,456
2022
$1,210
2021
$414
2020
$7,690
2019
$5,043

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Stryker Corporation
$9,037
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$7,411
Medinc of Texas
$700
ORTHO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
$146
Biocomposites Inc
$104
Radius Health, Inc.
$56
OsteoCentric Technologies, Inc.
$42
MicroPort Orthopedics Inc
$19
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 97.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCOLADE · AEQUALIS ASCEND FLEX · ASNIS · AXSOS · BIRMINGHAM HIP · BKS Primary · EX-FIX · GAMMA · GMRS · INSIGNIA · MAKO · MPO Medial Pivot Knee · OMEGA · OsteoCentric 4.0 x 130mm LOCKING BONE SCREW FASTENER ST · REAL INTELLIGENCE · RESTORATION · Stimulan · T2 · TRIATHLON · TRIDENT · Tymlos · VA-LCP PLATES & SCREWS · VARIAX · X3
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 (56%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $1,115 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for an orthopedic surgery specialist in The Woodlands?
Compare orthopedic surgeons in the The Woodlands area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
101
Per 100K population
15.4
County median income
$97,266
Nearest hospital
HOUSTON METHODIST THE WOODLANDS HOSPITAL
4.2 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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Hartline is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, 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. Hartline experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hartline performed 572 steroid injection (triamcinolone) 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. Hartline receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hartline received a total of $17,531 from 9 companies across 105 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. Hartline's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in The Woodlands?
Dr. Hartline's average Medicare payment per service is $73. 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. Hartline) 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 →
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. 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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →