Dr. Charles Nelson, D. O.
What this data tells you about Dr. Nelson
Dr. Charles Nelson is a family medicine specialist in Richland, WA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Nelson performed 851 Medicare services across 673 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Nelson received a total of $2,031 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 31 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. Nelson 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
184 | $57 | $233 |
| 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. |
176 | $58 | $186 |
| Infectious disease DNA/RNA test A laboratory test that uses a specific technique to detect the genetic material of an organism. This method amplifies the target DNA or RNA to identify the presence of the organism. |
144 | $33 | $50 |
| Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg. |
52 | $0 | $26 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
50 | $2 | $7 |
| 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. |
30 | $8 | $32 |
| Chlamydia pneumoniae nucleic acid test A laboratory test that uses amplified probe techniques to detect the genetic material of Chlamydia pneumoniae bacteria in a sample. |
28 | $33 | $50 |
| Mycoplasma pneumoniae nucleic acid test A laboratory test that uses amplified probe techniques to detect the genetic material of Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria. |
28 | $33 | $50 |
| Staphylococcus aureus DNA test A laboratory test that uses DNA amplification to detect the presence of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in a sample. |
27 | $32 | $50 |
| 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. |
27 | $89 | $361 |
| Legionella pneumophila nucleic acid detection test A laboratory test that uses an amplified probe technique to detect the genetic material of Legionella pneumophila bacteria. This method identifies the presence of the water-borne bacteria in a sample. |
25 | $33 | $50 |
| 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. |
20 | $88 | $265 |
| Chest X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the chest that captures two different angles to visualize the lungs, heart, and chest wall. |
18 | $21 | $71 |
| Strep A rapid test A rapid test to detect Group A Streptococcus bacteria using an immunoassay method with direct visual observation. |
18 | $16 | $26 |
| Ear wax removal by washing This procedure involves the removal of impacted ear wax using a washing technique. |
13 | $13 | $32 |
| SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay test A laboratory test using immunoassay techniques to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. |
11 | $35 | $97 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2023 ↗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 (2023)
All-time payments by company (2018-2023) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for family medicine in WA.
Geographic Context
5.8 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 2023 |
| 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. Nelson is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% in WA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 10% of WA 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
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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. 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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