Karl Russell Balch, M.D.
Orthopaedic Surgery Physician · Bakersfield, CA
Karl Russell Balch, M.D. is an orthopaedic surgery physician with a practice address in Bakersfield, California, and NPI 1902127525, issued on Jun 17, 2010. Check the license (California A149214, as entered in NPPES) on the Medical Board of California; the Medicare figures below come from public CMS files.
- Name
- Karl Russell Balch
- Credential
- M.D.
- Primary taxonomy
- Orthopaedic Surgery Physician 207X00000X
- License numbers
- A149214 CA
0116029604 VA
Self-reported in NPPES; status is on the state search - Practice location
- 5201 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93309
- Phone
- (661) 328-5565
- Enumerated
- Jun 17, 2010
- Record last updated
- Apr 16, 2025
- Fax
- (661) 328-5573
- Medicare enrollment
- Enrolled (PECOS I20170925002562); accepts Medicare assignment
- Medical or professional school
- University Of Chicago, Pritzker School Of Medicine, 2010
- Entity
- Type 1 · individual
8 nearest orthopaedic surgery physician records → All 2,276 in California → Look up another NPI →
Also registered at 5201 Truxtun Ave
A shared address usually means a shared clinic or building; it does not show who employs whom.
- Carrie Alejandro, PAPhysician Assistant1952653818
- Tamara Billings, PT, DPTPhysical Therapist1811161078
- Kelly CookPhysician Assistant1821603978
- Kamil Erfanian, M.D.Plastic Surgery Physician1639105844
- John Etcheverry, DPMFoot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist1760573745
- Emily Fish, PA-CPhysician Assistant1205027299
Verify Karl Russell Balch in five checks
- 1IdentityNPI record in CMS NPPESNPI lookupConfirmed in NPPES
- 2LicenseActive license and public ordersMedical Board of California
Search for license A149214Check the board - 3Other statesLicenses and actions elsewhereDocInfo (FSMB)Not checked
- 4ExclusionsMedicare and Medicaid bansHHS-OIG exclusion listNot checked
- 5CertificationBoard certificationABMS AOA NCCPA AANPNot checked
2.8 times the Medicare Part D claims of the average orthopaedic surgery physician in 2024
975 Medicare Part D claims for 397 beneficiaries, against an average of 346 among the 16,516 providers of this specialty who prescribed in Part D. Brand-name drugs were 3% of claims. 277 claims were for opioids.
Most prescribed
- Ondansetron Hcl259 claims
- Oxycodone-Acetaminophen178 claims
- Meloxicam166 claims
- Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen62 claims
- Diclofenac Sodium60 claims
- Ibuprofen44 claims
Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers by Provider and Drug, 2024 (data.cms.gov). Part D covers prescriptions for Medicare patients only; drugs with fewer than 11 claims are not published.
The practice group's MIPS final score for 2023 (Medicare payment program): 77.6 of 100
The Merit-based Incentive Payment System score is reported for the practice group, not for one clinician alone. Four categories are weighted into the final score; the average among 454,083 clinicians with a measured score was 83.5.
Source: CMS Quality Payment Program, MIPS performance year 2023, group reporting; category weights for 2023 (qpp.cms.gov).
Industry payments in 2024: $86.60
4 payments; by number, the most common kind was food and beverage; the largest payer was Smith+Nephew, Inc. The 15,003 providers of this specialty with any payment received $23,022.89 on average. Payments are reported by manufacturers, not by the provider, and are not a sign of wrongdoing.
Source: CMS Open Payments, program year 2024 (openpaymentsdata.cms.gov); average among providers of this specialty with at least one payment.
Bills Medicare through one group practice
- Regents OF The University OF CaliforniaBakersfield, CA
Source: CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File (the group practices a clinician bills Medicare through) (data.cms.gov).
Karl Russell Balch among 2,276 orthopaedic surgery physician records in California
Karl Russell Balch, M.D. is one of 2,276 orthopaedic surgery physician records with a practice address in California. 74% of them appear in a Medicare file (Part D prescribing, MIPS, Open Payments or Medicare group billing); this one does. Its NPI, issued in 2010, is newer than 72% of them.
- NPI issued2010 · 72% of these records are older, 25% newer
- In a Medicare fileYes · 74% of these records are
- In the CMS Doctors and Clinicians fileYes · 59% of these records are
- Graduated2010 · median 2003 among the 1,347 with a school on file
- Record last updated2025 · 66% of these records were not updated in five years or more
Source: CMS NPPES, file of Aug 9, 2026, every record with primary taxonomy 207X00000X and a California practice address; Medicare files: CMS Part D Prescribers 2024, MIPS 2023, Open Payments 2024, Doctors and Clinicians (data.cms.gov).
Orthopaedic Surgery Physician providers in California
There are 2,276 orthopaedic surgery physician records in California.
All 2,276 in California → Every provider in Bakersfield → Orthopaedic Surgery Physician nationwide →
The 8 orthopaedic surgery physician records with the nearest ZIP codes
- Basem Attum, MDBakersfield, CA 933091184071870
- Christopher Hamilton, M.D.Bakersfield, CA 933091598795130
- Emery Hopp, MDBakersfield, CA 933091689666786
- Jarrad MerrimanBakersfield, CA 933091619397361
- Oluwadamilola OluyedeBakersfield, CA 933091558758185
- Christopher PhamBakersfield, CA 933091164981411
- Fadi Saied, D.O.Bakersfield, CA 933091013179712
- P Chandrasekaran, MBBS MD FACS FAAOSBakersfield, CA 933111437123601
Common questions
What is Karl Russell Balch, M.D.'s NPI number?
Karl Russell Balch, M.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1902127525, issued on Jun 17, 2010. An NPI identifies a provider in billing; it is not a license.
Where is Karl Russell Balch, M.D. located?
The NPPES record lists a practice address at 5201 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA, 93309. Phone: (661) 328-5565. Providers update this record themselves, so call before visiting.
How can I verify Karl Russell Balch, M.D.'s license?
NPPES lists California license number A149214, as entered by the provider. Search the Medical Board of California at https://www.mbc.ca.gov/License-Verification/default.aspx. The NPPES record confirms identity only; the state search shows license status, expiration and public orders.
How much does Karl Russell Balch, M.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2024, Karl Russell Balch, M.D. had 975 Medicare Part D claims for 397 beneficiaries; the average among orthopaedic surgery physician prescribers was 346. Part D covers Medicare prescriptions only.
What is Karl Russell Balch, M.D.'s MIPS final score?
The 2023 MIPS final score is 77.6 of 100, reported for the practice group. The average among 454,083 clinicians with a measured score was 83.5.
Source: CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), file of Aug 9, 2026 (NPPES files on CMS.gov); NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy. Medicare files from data.cms.gov. An NPI identifies who bills; it is not a license.
Figures on PlainDoctor are read from the federal files each page names (CMS NPPES, Medicare Part D, MIPS, Open Payments; the HHS-OIG exclusion list only as counts) and from Census population estimates, with the file date shown beside them. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of Aug 9, 2026.