Cost analysis for CPT Q4173 — Palingen or palingen xplus, per square centimeter
Average Medicare Payment
$539.60
2023 data
Total Payments (2023)
$24.7M
Services (2023)
59.7K
Price Change (2017–2023)
+321.8%
| Year | Avg Payment | Total Payments | Services | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $127.93 | $495.6K | 3.9K | — |
| 2018 | $130.35 | $1.4M | 10.3K | +1.9% |
| 2019 | $145.99 | $2.2M | 15.2K | +12.0% |
| 2020 | $223.18 | $10.8M | 53.1K | +52.9% |
| 2021 | $279.76 | $19.8M | 68.8K | +25.4% |
| 2022 | $361.52 | $34.6M | 96.5K | +29.2% |
| 2023 | $539.60 | $24.7M | 59.7K | +49.3% |
The most expensive state pays 2.2x more than the cheapest for this procedure. NV averages $735.13 vs CO at $329.76.
| Provider | Specialty | State | Payments | Services | Avg/Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Jenson | Podiatry | TX | $12.8M | 38.0K | $337.55 |
| Flor Fimbres | Nurse Practitioner | AZ | $2.9M | 3.7K | $771.96 |
| Ulrike Pasternak | Nurse Practitioner | NV | $1.2M | 1.7K | $715.96 |
| Duc Pham | Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery | AZ | $1.2M | 4.7K | $245.43 |
| Maria Raines | Nurse Practitioner | NV | $1.0M | 1.3K | $776.62 |
| Mark Linam | Podiatry | CA | $860.8K | 2.3K | $371.02 |
| Myrna-Leticia Rivas | Nurse Practitioner | AZ | $840.6K | 1.1K | $761.42 |
| Christopher Bowlin | Podiatry | TN | $577.8K | 960 | $601.88 |
| Christopher Dwiggins | Physician Assistant | AZ | $545.8K | 732 | $745.67 |
| Adam Baker | Physician Assistant | NV | $504.8K | 718 | $703.02 |
| Kelsey Resler | Nurse Practitioner | AZ | $490.8K | 870 | $564.15 |
| Hadon Monaghan | Nurse Practitioner | NV | $479.9K | 638 | $752.22 |
| Myles Angelo Ferrer | Nurse Practitioner | NV | $391.0K | 546 | $716.17 |
| Radu Purtuc | Podiatry | FL | $253.3K | 696 | $363.87 |
| Jonathan Johnson | General Surgery | DC | $226.6K | 592 | $382.74 |
| Jason Redwine | Nurse Practitioner | TX | $137.4K | 380 | $361.71 |
| Ty Shettron | Nurse Practitioner | CO | $93.7K | 284 | $329.76 |
| Kevin Ho | Podiatry | CA | $79.0K | 220 | $359.21 |
| Nicole Lee | Nurse Practitioner | TX | $63.5K | 162 | $392.11 |
The data suggests significant pricing inconsistencies for CPT Q4173. With a 2.2x price gap between the most and least expensive states, geography plays an outsized role in what Medicare pays for this procedure.
Costs have risen 321.8% since 2017, outpacing inflation and raising questions about whether reimbursement rates reflect actual costs.
This analysis is based on publicly available CMS data and does not account for patient complexity, comorbidities, or facility-specific factors that may justify pricing differences.
Note: All data is from publicly available Medicare records. OpenMedicare is an independent journalism project not affiliated with CMS.