Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Lark Guss, M.D.
Dermatology · Spokane, WA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
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. Guss 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. Guss
Dr. Lark Guss is a dermatology specialist in Spokane, WA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Guss performed 1,514 Medicare services across 1,254 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Guss received a total of $1,378 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 68 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in dermatology. 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. Guss 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.
✓ 13 years in practice
▲ 1,514 Medicare services
$1,378 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,514
Medicare services
Bottom 41% in WA for dermatology
1,254
Unique beneficiaries
$298
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~116 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks This procedure involves the removal of a growth from the head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. The removed tissue is then examined under a microscope in the laboratory. |
401 | $425 | $1,378 |
| Removal and microscopic exam of growth of head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals, each additional stage, 1-5 tissue blocks | 228 | $336 | $841 |
| 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. |
95 | $41 | $115 |
| Complicated wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm A complex surgical procedure to close a wound measuring between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters on areas such as the face, neck, hands, or feet. |
76 | $194 | $974 |
| Intermediate wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm A medical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. This type of repair involves cleaning the wound and stitching it closed to promote healing. |
70 | $174 | $627 |
| 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. |
67 | $61 | $184 |
| Skin graft repair of eyelid, nose, ear, or lip, 10 sq cm or less A surgical procedure to repair a wound on the eyelid, nose, ear, or lip by transferring a small piece of skin. The transferred skin covers an area of 10 square centimeters or less. |
57 | $594 | $1,556 |
| Skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks A procedure to remove a growth from the trunk, arms, or legs and send 1 to 5 tissue samples to a laboratory for microscopic examination. |
53 | $481 | $1,295 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1 Removal of a single precancerous skin growth. This procedure destroys abnormal skin cells to prevent them from developing into cancer. |
51 | $38 | $138 |
| Intermediate repair of wound of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth, 2.6-5.0 cm | 49 | $138 | $653 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14 This procedure involves the removal or destruction of two to fourteen precancerous skin lesions. It is performed to eliminate abnormal skin cells that have the potential to develop into cancer. |
48 | $5 | $14 |
| Skin biopsy, tangential A procedure to remove a sample of the first identified skin growth for laboratory examination. |
33 | $69 | $213 |
| Complicated wound repair, scalp/arms/legs, 2.6-7.5 cm A complex surgical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters in length. |
33 | $176 | $881 |
| Skin graft repair, 10 sq cm or less A surgical procedure to repair a wound by transferring a small piece of skin to the affected area. The graft covers wounds on the face, neck, hands, feet, or other specified body parts. |
31 | $606 | $1,540 |
| Additional Mohs surgery stage with microscopic exam This procedure involves the removal and microscopic examination of an additional stage of tissue from the trunk, arms, or legs. It is performed in stages to ensure complete removal of the growth. |
30 | $324 | $806 |
| Surgical removal of skin cancer, 2.1-3.0 cm This procedure involves the surgical excision of a cancerous skin growth located on the body, arms, or legs. The size of the removed tissue measures between 2.1 and 3.0 centimeters. |
29 | $118 | $571 |
| Intermediate wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm This procedure involves stitching a wound on the neck, hands, feet, or genitals that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. It is classified as an intermediate repair requiring layered closure. |
29 | $140 | $642 |
| Skin graft repair, 10.1-30 sq cm A surgical procedure to repair wounds on the forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, neck, underarms, genitals, hands, or feet by transferring skin. The graft covers an area between 10.1 and 30.0 square centimeters. |
25 | $730 | $1,867 |
| Complex repair of eyelid, nose, ear, or lip wound, 2.6-7.5 cm A surgical procedure to repair a complex wound on the eyelid, nose, ear, or lip that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. |
24 | $212 | $1,024 |
| Intermediate wound repair, 7.6-12.5 cm This procedure involves stitching a wound on the scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 7.6 and 12.5 centimeters. It includes cleaning the wound and closing it with sutures to promote healing. |
23 | $213 | $692 |
| Full thickness skin graft to nose, ears, eyelids, or lips, 20 sq cm or less A surgical procedure where a full layer of skin is taken from a donor site and transplanted to the nose, ears, eyelids, or lips. The graft covers an area of 20 square centimeters or less. |
19 | $792 | $1,822 |
| 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. |
18 | $74 | $227 |
| Skin graft repair of eyelid, nose, ear, or lip, 10.1-30 sq cm This procedure involves repairing a wound on the eyelid, nose, ear, or lip by transferring skin from another area. The graft size covered is between 10.1 and 30.0 square centimeters. |
13 | $776 | $2,012 |
| Surgical removal of skin cancer, 3.1-4.0 cm This procedure involves the surgical excision of a cancerous skin growth located on the body, arms, or legs. The size of the removed tissue is between 3.1 and 4.0 centimeters. |
12 | $169 | $636 |
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.
2.0% high complexity
2.2% medium
95.8% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$1,378
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $197/year across 7 years
Top 47% in WA for dermatology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
23
Companies
68
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
$1,378 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$133
2023
$66
2022
$206
2021
$85
2020
$32
2019
$516
2018
$341
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$33
GENZYME CORPORATION
$32
Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$30
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$20
Next Science LLC
$18
Top 3 companies account for 71.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
AbbVie, Inc.
$160
Allergan Inc.
$156
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$155
Lilly USA, LLC
$146
ABBVIE INC.
$142
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$69
GENZYME CORPORATION
$69
PFIZER INC.
$63
Ortho Dermatologics, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$60
AbbVie Inc.
$50
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$41
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$35
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$33
Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$30
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$25
Celgene Corporation
$23
Amgen Inc.
$20
Next Science LLC
$18
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$18
UCB, Inc.
$17
Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc.
$17
Biofrontera Inc.
$16
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 34.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ALTRENO · Ameluz · BOTOX · BOTOX COSMETIC · COSENTYX · Cimzia · DUPIXENT · EUCRISA · HEMANGEOL · Humira · IMLYGIC · Ilumya · LIBTAYO · RETIN-A-MICRO · RINVOQ · SILIQ · SKYRIZI · SPEVIGO · Skyrizi · TALTZ · TREMFYA · VALCHLOR · VTAMA · Xperience · Zoryve
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Dermatologists within 10 mi
24
Per 100K population
4.4
County median income
$73,513
Nearest hospital
SHRINERS HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN
2.3 mi
2.3 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. Guss is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Guss experienced with skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Guss performed 401 skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks 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. Guss receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Guss received a total of $1,378 from 23 companies across 68 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. Guss's costs compare to other dermatologists in Spokane?
Dr. Guss's average Medicare payment per service is $298. 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. Guss) 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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