Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Uchiyama, M.D.

Neurological Surgery · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
10666 N TORREY PINES RD, La Jolla, CA 92037
8585548920
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1386695625 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Uchiyama 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. Uchiyama

Dr. Christopher Uchiyama is a neurological surgery specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Uchiyama performed 409 Medicare services across 380 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Uchiyama received a total of $9,151 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 178 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological surgery. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Uchiyama 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 34% volume in CA $9,151 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
409
Medicare services
Top 34% in CA for neurological surgery
380
Unique beneficiaries
$216
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~22 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
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)
An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter.
141 $147 $491
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.
96 $105 $350
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 67 $181 $598
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.
40 $137 $453
Spinal fusion with disc removal and nerve release, 1 disc
This surgery connects two or more vertebrae in the upper spine to stabilize the area. It involves removing a damaged disc and relieving pressure on the spinal cord or nerve.
14 $1,377 $6,208
Computer-assisted spinal procedure
A surgical or diagnostic procedure involving the spine that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning, navigation, or execution.
14 $181 $823
Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment
A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment.
14 $710 $4,080
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.
12 $71 $248
Spinal bone removal for neurostimulator electrode insertion
This procedure involves removing a portion of the spine bone to create space for inserting a neurostimulator electrode plate into the spinal area.
11 $692 $3,103
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.
3.4% high complexity
0.0% medium
96.6% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$9,151
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,307/year across 7 years
Top 34% in CA for neurological surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
13
Companies
178
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$5,252 (57.4%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$3,899 (42.6%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$118
2023
$208
2022
$693
2021
$1,973
2020
$2,211
2019
$3,764
2018
$184

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Microtransponder, Inc.
$77
Boston Scientific Corporation
$41
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Boston Scientific Corporation
$4,193
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$2,526
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$1,923
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$181
Microtransponder, Inc.
$77
SeaSpine Orthopedics Corporation
$69
Medtronic, Inc.
$52
Ziehm Imaging, Inc.
$35
Globus Medical, Inc.
$27
Aesculap, Inc.
$19
MicroVention, Inc.
$18
ClearPoint Neuro, Inc.
$17
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 94.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
3D Printed IBF · ACTIVA · ANDEXXA · AQUAMANTYS · CD HORIZON · CLEARPOINT · FIBERGRAFT BG MORSELS · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · General - Pain Management · General - Therapies · Infinion 16 · LNH · PIVOX Oblique Lateral Spinal System · PRECISION · PROGAV2 · Regatta Lateral System · SKYLINE · SOFIA · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SYNCHROMED · VERCISE · VERTEX · VIPER · VIVIGEN MIS DELIVERY SYSTEM · WAVEWRITER ALPHA
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 →

The majority of payments (57%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in neurological surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Looking for a neurological surgery specialist in La Jolla?
Compare neurological surgerists in the La Jolla area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse neurological surgerists nearby

Geographic Context

Neurological surgerists within 10 mi
79
Per 100K population
2.4
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
SCRIPPS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL LA JOLLA
0.0 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. Uchiyama is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement, 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

Is Dr. Uchiyama experienced with office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Uchiyama performed 141 office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) 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. Uchiyama receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Uchiyama received a total of $9,151 from 13 companies across 178 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. Uchiyama's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in La Jolla?
Dr. Uchiyama's average Medicare payment per service is $216. 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. Uchiyama) 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 →
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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →