Dr. Joel Matthias Biester , MD
Surgery โข Augusta, GA
1120 15th Street
Augusta, GA 309120004
This profile restates public CMS/NPPES data; T-MedInfo gives no medical advice — consult a licensed professional, and call 911 for emergencies.
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NPI assigned on June 28, 2018; this date does not establish years in practice.
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Published CMS data list 72 Original Medicare Part B services in 2024.
Source: CMS, Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners โ by Provider and Service, 2024. Published rows only; this is not a quality measure.
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Published Part B service records, 2024:
- 99232 โ Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making: 45 service units.
- 99222 โ Initial hospital care with straightforward or low-level medical decision making: 27 service units.
Source: CMS, Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners โ by Provider and Service, 2024. Units differ by code; these are not visits or a measure of quality.
CPTยฎ only copyright 2023 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. Service names are shortened from CPT Consumer Friendly Descriptors (CMS data, 2024). CPT notice
See the full table ยท Guide: How to read Medicare Part B data
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Published CMS data list 44 Medicare Part D prescriptions, including refills, in 2024.
Source: CMS, Medicare Part D Prescribers โ by Provider and Drug, 2024. Published rows only; this is not a quality measure.
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Published Part D records, 2024:
- Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen (Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen) โ 26 prescription fills, including refills.
- Pantoprazole Sodium โ 18 prescription fills, including refills.
Source: CMS, Medicare Part D Prescribers โ by Provider and Drug, 2024. Drug names come from pharmacy claims. Listing a drug here is not an endorsement or a recommendation.
See the full table ยท Guide: How to read Medicare Part D prescriber data
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Fewer Medicare Part B services than 80% of clinicians listed under Surgery in Augusta, GA (2024, 27 clinicians with data). Median for this group: 285. Middle half: 203 to 432.
Fewer Medicare Part B services than 80% of clinicians listed under Surgery in Georgia (2024, 512 clinicians with data). Median for this group: 185. Middle half: 91 to 334.
Source: CMS, Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners โ by Provider and Service, 2024. Billing and prescribing volume is not a quality rating.
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Medicare Part B services went from 46 in 2023 to 72 in 2024.
Source: CMS, Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners โ by Provider and Service, 2023โ2024.
Practice Location & Contact Primary Location
1120 15th Street
Augusta, GA 309120004
Matched by practice address or phone in NPPES. A shared address or phone does not confirm that this clinician works there.
NPPES lists 2 distinct additional practice-address records in Spartanburg, SC. See the list
Source: CMS NPPES NPI Registry, practice location records; release date unavailable.
CMS Doctors and Clinicians lists 1 group name: Spartanburg Medical Center. See the list
Source: CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File, release date unavailable.
Listings do not confirm current availability, employment or a shared ownership network.
Medicare Profile & Education
Source: CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File
University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine
2018
What Public CMS Data Show
Surgery: NPPES taxonomy is a reported classification, not proof of board certification.
Medicare patients
59 people with Original Medicare in 2024
It gives a sense of how many people with Medicare this clinician treated that year.
Source: CMS, Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners โ by Provider, 2024.
Medicare-allowed amount
About $6,527 in 2024
The total amount Medicare approved for these services in 2024. It includes what Medicare paid and what patients or their other insurance owed, such as the deductible and coinsurance.
It shows the total cost of this clinician's Original Medicare services under Medicare's fee rules.
What this does not show: Medicare-allowed amount
This is not the clinician's income. Part of it can go to a clinic or group practice, staff, equipment or drugs. It is not the price you will pay.
Source: CMS, Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners โ by Provider and Service, 2024.
Paid by Medicare
About $5,206 in 2024
The part of the Medicare-allowed amount that Medicare itself paid in 2024, after patients' deductibles and coinsurance.
The gap between the allowed amount and this number is roughly what patients and their other insurance paid.
What this does not show: Paid by Medicare
This is not the clinician's income and not a measure of quality.
Source: CMS, Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners โ by Provider and Service, 2024.
30-day fills
59 standardized 30-day fills in 2024
CMS converts prescriptions to 30-day supplies so they can be compared. A 90-day prescription counts as about three 30-day fills.
What this does not show: 30-day fills
It is not a count of patients and not a measure of quality.
Part D drug cost
$212 in 2024
The total cost of these prescriptions in 2024, paid by Medicare drug plans, patients and other payers together.
It shows the total spending on drugs this clinician prescribed, not what any one patient paid.
What this does not show: Part D drug cost
A higher cost often reflects the type of medicines a specialty uses. It is not your out-of-pocket cost and not a measure of quality.
Source: CMS, Medicare Part D Prescribers โ by Provider and Drug, 2024.
Open Payments general payments, program year 2024
All general payments: $128.45 across 3 records.
By nature of payment
- Food and Beverage: $128.45 across 3 records.
Reporting-company totals
- Boston Scientific Corporation: $68.70 across 1 record.
- Innovation Technologies Inc: $43.38 across 1 record.
- PolyNovo North America LLC: $16.37 across 1 record.
A reported payment does not necessarily mean the financial relationship is improper and is not a measure of care quality. Clinicians can review and dispute these records.
Source: Calculated by T-MedInfo from CMS Open Payments general-payment records for program year 2024 (published June 30, 2026).
Years since graduation
8 years (graduated 2018)
CMS Doctors and Clinicians data list 2018 as the year this clinician finished professional school.
It tells you roughly how long ago the clinician finished school.
What this does not show: Years since graduation
It is not the number of years in practice, and more years does not mean better care.
Source: CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File.
NPI first issued
2018
The year this clinician's National Provider Identifier (NPI) was issued. An NPI is a unique 10-digit ID that US health care providers use for billing.
What this does not show: NPI first issued
NPIs have been issued only since 2005, so this year is not necessarily when the clinician started practicing.
Source: CMS NPPES NPI Registry.
Accepts Medicare assignment
CMS data list this clinician as accepting Medicare assignment. This means agreeing to take the Medicare-approved amount as full payment for covered services.
With Original Medicare, you usually pay only your deductible and coinsurance, and the office sends the claim to Medicare for you.
Medicare assignment applies to Original Medicare. It does not tell you whether the clinician is in a Medicare Advantage plan's network, accepts other insurance, or is taking new patients.
Source: CMS Doctors and Clinicians; Medicare.gov, โDoes your provider accept Medicare as full payment?โ
No telehealth indicator
CMS shows this indicator only when recent Medicare claims include telehealth services. The clinician may still offer telehealth; ask the office.
Source: CMS, Telehealth Indicator on Medicare Care Compare (fact sheet, January 2023); CMS Doctors and Clinicians.
Enrolled in Medicare (PECOS)
Dr. Biester has a Medicare enrollment record in PECOS, the CMS system clinicians use to enroll so they can bill Medicare or order services for people with Medicare.
It does not show whether the clinician accepts assignment, is in your plan's network, or is taking new patients.
Source: CMS Medicare Fee-For-Service Public Provider Enrollment (PECOS); CMS Order and Referring file.
Can order Medicare-covered services
CMS lists Dr. Biester as eligible to order or refer Medicare Part B clinical laboratory and imaging services, durable medical equipment (DME) and home health services for people with Medicare.
Medicare pays for these items and services only when they are ordered by an eligible clinician.
What this does not show: Can order Medicare-covered services
It does not mean the clinician offers these services directly.
Source: CMS Medicare Fee-For-Service Public Provider Enrollment (PECOS); CMS Order and Referring file.
Compared with the same specialty in Augusta and Georgia
Billing and prescribing volume is not a quality rating.
Medicare Part B services
Fewer Medicare Part B services than 80% of clinicians listed under Surgery in Augusta, GA (2024, 27 clinicians with data). Median for this group: 285. Middle half: 203 to 432.
Fewer Medicare Part B services than 80% of clinicians listed under Surgery in Georgia (2024, 512 clinicians with data). Median for this group: 185. Middle half: 91 to 334.
Medicare-allowed amount
A lower Medicare-allowed amount than 95% of clinicians listed under Surgery in Augusta, GA (2024, 27 clinicians with data). Median for this group: $29,972. Middle half: $23,302 to $61,749.
A lower Medicare-allowed amount than 80% of clinicians listed under Surgery in Georgia (2024, 512 clinicians with data). Median for this group: $23,014. Middle half: $10,160 to $43,695.
Paid by Medicare
A lower Medicare payment amount than 95% of clinicians listed under Surgery in Augusta, GA (2024, 27 clinicians with data). Median for this group: $23,828. Middle half: $17,824 to $47,917.
A lower Medicare payment amount than 80% of clinicians listed under Surgery in Georgia (2024, 512 clinicians with data). Median for this group: $17,476. Middle half: $7,533 to $33,252.
Medicare Part D prescriptions
Close to the middle for clinicians listed under Surgery in Augusta, GA (2024, 36 clinicians with data). Median for this group: 60. Middle half: 18 to 173.
Fewer Part D prescriptions than 65% of clinicians listed under Surgery in Georgia (2024, 530 clinicians with data). Median for this group: 84. Middle half: 38 to 176.
Part D drug cost
Close to the middle for clinicians listed under Surgery in Augusta, GA (2024, 36 clinicians with data). Median for this group: $502. Middle half: $55 to $1,228.
A lower Part D drug cost than 65% of clinicians listed under Surgery in Georgia (2024, 530 clinicians with data). Median for this group: $544. Middle half: $169 to $2,182.
76 active clinicians are listed under Surgery with a practice address in Augusta, GA (991 in Georgia).
Addresses are self-reported to NPPES and may be out of date.
Telehealth indicator in Augusta
1.3% of these 76 clinicians have the CMS telehealth indicator.
40.8% of these 76 clinicians are listed by CMS as accepting Medicare assignment.
CMS data by year
Changes may reflect reporting, coverage or privacy limits, not changes in care quality.
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Medicare Part B services
Medicare Part B services increased 57% from 46 in 2023 to 72 in 2024.
- 2023: 46
- 2024: 72
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Medicare-allowed amount
Medicare-allowed amount increased 60% from $4,084 in 2023 to $6,527 in 2024.
- 2023: $4,084
- 2024: $6,527
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Paid by Medicare
Paid by Medicare increased 60% from $3,253 in 2023 to $5,206 in 2024.
- 2023: $3,253
- 2024: $5,206
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Medicare Part D prescriptions
Medicare Part D prescriptions increased 22% from 36 in 2020 to 44 in 2024.
- 2020: 36
- 2021: 31
- 2022: 43
- 2023: 20
- 2024: 44
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30-day fills
30-day fills increased 64% from 36 in 2020 to 59 in 2024.
- 2020: 36
- 2021: 31
- 2022: 47
- 2023: 20
- 2024: 59
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Part D drug cost
Part D drug cost went from $168 in 2020 to $212 in 2024.
- 2020: $168
- 2021: $161
- 2022: $239
- 2023: $68
- 2024: $212
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Industry payments (Open Payments)
Industry payments (Open Payments) went from $11.52 in 2020 to $128.45 in 2024.
- 2020: $11.52
- 2021: $24.35
- 2022: $124.36
- 2023: $1,442.38
- 2024: $128.45
Sources: CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners (2024), CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers (2024), CMS Open Payments (2024), CMS Doctors and Clinicians, CMS NPPES NPI Registry. Specialty names follow the NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy.
Text: T-MedInfo ยท Report an error.
Pharma & Medical Device Financial Disclosures
Payments and other transfers of value that drug and medical device companies reported to CMS Open Payments
Program year 2024 (payments made January 1 โ December 31, 2024): fewer than 11 records totaling $128.45.
| Manufacturer | Payment Nature | Product | Type | Amount ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Scientific Corporation |
Food and Beverage
In-kind items and services
|
SpyGlass Discover | General | $68.70 |
| Innovation Technologies Inc |
Food and Beverage
In-kind items and services
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IRRISEPT | General | $43.38 |
| PolyNovo North America LLC |
Food and Beverage
In-kind items and services
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NOVOSORB BTM | General | $16.37 |
Source: CMS Open Payments, program year 2024, released June 30, 2026.
Performed Procedures & Service Volume
CPTยฎ is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. CPT codes, descriptions and other data only are copyright 2022โ2023 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. Applicable FARS/HHSARS apply. Descriptions of CPT codes are the AMA's CPT Consumer Friendly Descriptors as published by CMS in the Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners โ by Provider and Service data, 2023โ2024; they are plain-language summaries, not for clinical coding or documentation. HCPCS Level II codes and descriptions are from CMS. Fee schedules, relative value units, conversion factors and/or related components are not assigned by the AMA, are not part of CPT, and the AMA is not recommending their use. The AMA does not directly or indirectly practice medicine or dispense medical services. The AMA assumes no liability for data contained or not contained herein.
| HCPCS Code | Services | Patients | Submitted Charge | Medicare Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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99232
Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 35 minutes
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45 | 27 | $236.07 | $73.78 |
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99222
Initial hospital care with straightforward or low-level medical decision making, if using time, at least 55 minutes
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27 | 26 | $434.26 | $118.78 |
Source: CMS Part B by Provider and Service, 2024; services under 11 beneficiaries omitted by CMS. Privacy limits
Submitted charges are billed amounts, not a price quote for your visit.
Medicare Part D Prescribing Profile & Medications
Medicare Part D prescriptions filled, including refills, in 2024.
| Brand Name | Generic Name | Prescriptions | Day Supply | Total Cost | Patients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen | Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen | 26 | 104 | $88.61 | 24 |
| Pantoprazole Sodium | Pantoprazole Sodium | 18 | 990 | $122.98 | โ |
Source: CMS Part D by Provider and Drug, 2024; rows below 11 claims omitted by CMS; volume isn’t quality. Privacy limits
Specialties & License Numbers Reported to NPPES
Self-certified to NPPES: 2024-07-16NUCC Taxonomy Code: 208600000X
A general surgeon has expertise related to the diagnosis - preoperative, operative and postoperative management - and management of complications of surgical conditions in the following areas: alimentary tract; abdomen; breast, skin and soft tissue; endocrine system; head and neck surgery; pediatric surgery; surgical critical care; surgical oncology; trauma and burns; and vascular surgery. General surgeons increasingly provide care through the use of minimally invasive and endoscopic techniques. Many general surgeons also possess expertise in transplantation surgery, plastic surgery and cardiothoracic surgery.
NUCC Taxonomy Code: 208600000X
A general surgeon has expertise related to the diagnosis - preoperative, operative and postoperative management - and management of complications of surgical conditions in the following areas: alimentary tract; abdomen; breast, skin and soft tissue; endocrine system; head and neck surgery; pediatric surgery; surgical critical care; surgical oncology; trauma and burns; and vascular surgery. General surgeons increasingly provide care through the use of minimally invasive and endoscopic techniques. Many general surgeons also possess expertise in transplantation surgery, plastic surgery and cardiothoracic surgery.
Additional State Medicaid & Healthcare Payer Identifiers
Medicare (PECOS) Enrollment & Ordering Eligibility
Source: CMS PECOSPRACTITIONER - OTOLARYNGOLOGY
I20240705000651
GA
4284971623
Sources: CMS Provider Enrollment and Order and Referring. Medicare enrollment is a billing status, not an accreditation or quality rating.
Medicare Group Practice Enrollments
Source: CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File
Spartanburg Medical Center
1690 Skylyn Dr, Spartanburg, SC 293071039
Phone: 8645771600
Secondary Practice Locations
101 E Wood St
Spartanburg, SC 293033040
Phone: 8645606000
1690 Skylyn Dr Ste 350
Spartanburg, SC 293071039
Phone: 8645771600
Clinicians Sharing This Practice Address or Phone
Clinicians sharing this NPPES address, phone or fax; a shared contact does not mean they work together.
Internal Medicine - Cardiovascular Disease
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Internal Medicine - Interventional Cardiology
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Pathology - Anatomic Pathology
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Nurse Practitioner
Family Nurse Practitioner (Board Certified)
Internal Medicine
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Internal Medicine - Interventional Cardiology
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Career & Practice History Timeline
Changes recorded in monthly NPPES data files: addresses, names, credentials, specialties and NPI status
Registered at 1120 15TH STREET, AUGUSTA, GA 309120004 (Tel: 7067218623)
Registered at 1120 15TH ST # OR6000, AUGUSTA, GA 309120004 (Tel: 7067213813)
Surgery (license number reported to NPPES: SC 52662)
Registered at 1690 SKYLYN DR STE 350, SPARTANBURG, SC 293071039 (Tel: 8645771600)
Registered at PO BOX 743070, ALTNATA, GA 303743070 (Tel: 8645604304)
NPI status registered as active in NPPES database
Registered at 101 E WOOD ST, SPARTANBURG, SC 293033040 (Tel: 8645606000)
Registered at 101 EAST WOOD STREET, DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL EDUCATION, SPARTANBURG, SC 29303 (Tel: 8645606737)
Recorded as JOEL BIESTER, MD
Surgery (license number reported to NPPES: SC LL52662)
First registered as active Individual Practitioner in NPPES Database.
NPI Administrative Meta
Other Surgery Specialists in Augusta
- Dr. Thuy-Huong Pham, MD
- Dr. Philip Coffey, MD
- Dr. Asa Duggan, MD
- Dr. Robert Hill, MD
- Natalie Domingue
- Dr. Christopher Hogan, MD
Mailing Address
1120 15th St # Or6000
Augusta, GA 309120004
Phone: 7067213813