Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Christopher Yoon Kong, M.D.
Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine Physician · Los Angeles, CA
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. Kong 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. Kong
Dr. Christopher Yoon Kong is an orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician in Los Angeles, CA, with 10 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kong performed 829 Medicare services across 654 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kong received a total of $5,101 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 56 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician. 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. Kong 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.
✓ 10 years in practice
▲ Top 41% volume in CA
$5,101 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗829
Medicare services
Top 41% in CA for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
654
Unique beneficiaries
$214
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~83 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
140 | $112 | $4,100 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
81 | $76 | $3,403 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
69 | $84 | $4,500 |
| 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. |
60 | $423 | $12,000 |
| Computer-assisted spinal procedure A surgical or diagnostic procedure involving the spine that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning, navigation, or execution. |
52 | $66 | $1,500 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
39 | $193 | $7,500 |
| Anterior spinal fusion with partial disc removal, each additional disc This procedure involves fusing spine bones together through an incision in the front of the body, with partial removal of the disc, for each additional disc treated. |
34 | $142 | $3,750 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 31 | $676 | $17,250 |
| Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with partial disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse the lower spine bones by accessing the area through the abdomen and partially removing a spinal disc. |
27 | $482 | $17,000 |
| 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. |
23 | $74 | $227 |
| Imaging guidance for procedure, 60 minutes or less Use of imaging technology to guide a medical procedure. This service lasts 60 minutes or less. |
22 | $13 | $1,140 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
22 | $145 | $1,000 |
| Reinsertion of spinal fixation device This procedure involves the reinsertion of a device used to stabilize the spine. It is performed to restore spinal fixation. |
21 | $239 | $14,000 |
| Placement of stabilizing device to back of 1 spine bone in neck A procedure involving the placement of a stabilizing device on the back of a single vertebra in the neck. |
20 | $306 | $8,000 |
| Lower back spinal fusion with bone and disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae in the lower back. It involves removing part of the spine bone and a disc to stabilize the area. |
18 | $559 | $21,250 |
| Spinal fusion, upper back A surgical procedure to join two or more vertebrae in the upper back to eliminate motion between them. |
16 | $155 | $13,500 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of spinal bone to release pressure on the lower spinal cord or nerves, and/or the removal of a spinal disc. |
16 | $278 | $10,400 |
| Lower spine bone segment removal A surgical procedure to cut into or remove a segment of bone from the lower spine. |
15 | $129 | $17,500 |
| Spinal fusion of neck, posterior approach A surgical procedure to join two or more vertebrae in the cervical spine using a back approach to stabilize the neck. |
15 | $321 | $13,750 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release during fusion This procedure involves removing part of the bone in a single segment of the lower spine to release the spinal cord or nerves, performed during a spinal fusion. |
15 | $70 | $10,000 |
| 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 | $336 | $22,910 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
14 | $165 | $8,000 |
| Artificial upper spine disc insertion, anterior approach Surgical placement of an artificial disc in the upper spine through an incision at the front of the neck or chest. |
14 | $991 | $30,000 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment Surgical removal of part of the spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves in one segment. |
14 | $311 | $13,500 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
13 | $109 | $1,000 |
| Removal of lower spine bone growth Surgical removal of a bone growth located in the lower spine, outside the protective membrane covering the spinal cord. |
12 | $468 | $14,820 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 12 | $137 | $500 |
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.
45.7% high complexity
2.7% medium
51.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$5,101
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $729/year across 7 years
Bottom 40% in CA for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
13
Companies
56
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
$5,101 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$225
2023
$249
2022
$2,784
2021
$1,121
2020
$109
2019
$546
2018
$66
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Stryker Corporation
$118
Globus Medical, Inc.
$107
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Globus Medical, Inc.
$1,874
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$928
NuVasive, Inc.
$603
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$580
Integrity Implants Inc.
$316
Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc
$233
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$149
Spineology Inc.
$148
Stryker Corporation
$118
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$50
Augmedics Inc.
$48
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$36
Radius Health, Inc.
$18
Top 3 companies account for 66.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACF · ACIS · CONDUIT · EXPEDIUM · Excelsius GPS · Excelsius Robotics System · FIBERGRAFT BG MORSELS · MazorX - Renaissance · Modulus · N/A · NVM5 · OptiMesh Interbody Fusion System · Polaris Posterior Spinal System · Pulse · SYMPHONY · SYNAPSE · SYNFIX · T-PAL · TLIF · Teligen · Tymlos · VIPER · ViviGen · X-CORE · XLIF · Xvision
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
Orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians within 10 mi
72
Per 100K population
0.7
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
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. Kong 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. Kong experienced with spinal fusion of additional segment?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kong performed 140 spinal fusion of additional segment 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. Kong receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kong received a total of $5,101 from 13 companies across 56 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. Kong's costs compare to other orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians in Los Angeles?
Dr. Kong's average Medicare payment per service is $214. 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. Kong) 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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