Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Oliver Tannous, M.D.
Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine Physician · San Diego, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
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. Tannous 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. Tannous
Dr. Oliver Tannous is an orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician in San Diego, CA, with 15 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Tannous performed 970 Medicare services across 846 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Tannous received a total of $390,956 from 38 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 406 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Tannous 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.
✓ 15 years in practice
▲ Top 37% volume in CA
$390,956 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗970
Medicare services
Top 37% in CA for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
846
Unique beneficiaries
$339
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~65 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. |
99 | $151 | $397 |
| 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. |
93 | $103 | $297 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using 4 to 5 different views to visualize the bones and structures in that area. |
65 | $11 | $47 |
| 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. |
63 | $230 | $1,046 |
| 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. |
60 | $349 | $1,024 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 49 | $1,369 | $4,160 |
| 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. |
33 | $132 | $407 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
32 | $9 | $35 |
| Computer-assisted spinal procedure A surgical or diagnostic procedure involving the spine that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning, navigation, or execution. |
31 | $208 | $794 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 28 | $177 | $520 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
27 | $650 | $1,917 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
27 | $81 | $199 |
| 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. |
26 | $269 | $789 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
26 | $682 | $2,794 |
| 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. |
25 | $514 | $2,895 |
| 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. |
25 | $75 | $204 |
| 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. |
22 | $1,176 | $3,515 |
| 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 | $676 | $2,755 |
| 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. |
19 | $188 | $555 |
| X-ray of entire middle and lower spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the entire middle and lower spine to visualize the bones and structures in these areas. |
19 | $13 | $54 |
| 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. |
18 | $733 | $3,604 |
| 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. |
15 | $1,548 | $5,668 |
| 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. |
15 | $560 | $2,787 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
15 | $8 | $35 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone. |
15 | $84 | $245 |
| 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. |
14 | $610 | $3,420 |
| 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 | $896 | $5,079 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints. |
14 | $7 | $34 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views An X-ray imaging test of the lower back and sacrum using at least four different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
13 | $41 | $173 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
13 | $51 | $132 |
| Closed treatment of broken spine bone with cast or brace Non-surgical treatment of a spinal fracture using a cast or brace to stabilize the bone and promote healing. |
12 | $261 | $779 |
| Partial spine bone removal with nerve release, 1 interspace This procedure involves removing part of the spine bone, re-exploring the area, and releasing the lower spinal cord or nerves, along with removing a disc at one spinal level. |
12 | $786 | $3,645 |
| 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. |
11 | $151 | $486 |
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.
24.2% high complexity
0.0% medium
75.8% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$390,956
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $55,851/year across 7 years
Top 16% in CA for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
38
Companies
406
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.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$350,598 (89.7%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$39,858 (10.2%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$500 (0.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$156,867
2023
$58,029
2022
$135,145
2021
$27,739
2020
$6,502
2019
$3,488
2018
$3,186
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$108,602
Baxter Healthcare
$17,999
Centinel Spine, LLC
$12,587
Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc
$8,145
Innovasis Inc
$7,854
Globus Medical, Inc.
$1,118
Medtronic, Inc.
$168
BIOCOMPOSITES INC
$143
SI-BONE, INC.
$133
Boston Scientific Corporation
$117
Top 3 companies account for 88.7% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$217,824
Medacta USA, Inc.
$50,135
Innovasis Inc
$27,527
Baxter Healthcare
$18,514
Cerapedics Inc.
$14,472
Precision Spine, Inc.
$13,453
Centinel Spine, LLC
$12,920
Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc
$8,145
NuVasive, Inc.
$5,829
4WEB, Inc.
$3,322
PRECISION SPINE, INC.
$3,300
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$2,341
Stryker Corporation
$2,090
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,572
SI-BONE, Inc.
$1,461
Globus Medical, Inc.
$1,227
Abbott Laboratories
$997
Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC
$786
Cerapedics, Inc.
$737
icotec Medical Inc.
$587
Spineology Inc.
$586
Boston Scientific Corporation
$471
SI-BONE, INC.
$431
Medicrea USA, Corp.
$342
Acuity Surgical Devices, LLC
$334
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$262
Spineart USA Inc
$219
Bioventus LLC
$178
BIOCOMPOSITES INC
$143
Stability Biologics, LLC
$132
Arteriocyte Medical Systems, Inc.
$123
Vertiflex, Inc.
$120
Spine Wave, Inc.
$109
K2M, Inc.
$105
OssDsign Incorporated
$77
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$36
Supreme Orthopedic Systems, LLC
$28
Intrinsic Therapeutics
$21
Top 3 companies account for 75.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTIFUSE · ACTIVL ARTIFICIAL DISC · ADAPT · AQUAMANTYS · All Spine Stimulation · Archon · AttraX · BARRICAID ACD (ANNULAR CLOSURE DEVICE) · CAPRI · CAPRI CERVICAL 3D STATIC CORPECTOMY · CASCADIA INTERBODY SYSTEM · CLYDESDALE · CORTICAL SCREW HYBRID · CREO ONE Robotic Screw · Cervical-Stim Osteogenesis Stimulator · Curved Interbody Implant · Durolane · EVEREST Spinal System · ExcelsiusGPS Robotic Navigation System · FLOSEAL · GAMMA · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · General K2M Product Discussion · HOFFMANN · I-FACTOR PEPTIDE ENHANCED BONE GRAFT · IFUSE IMPLANT · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · INTERBODY SYSTEM · Intracept · LATERAL ACCESS SPINAL SYSTEM · MAGNETOS · MECTA C · MUST · MUST MINI Set Screw · MYSPINE · MYSTIM · MazorX - Renaissance · Mecta-C Cervical Cages · Modulus · MySpine · NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT · NEXT AR · NextAR Knee · OPTIMESH EXPANDABLE INTERBODY FUSION SYSTEM · PASS LP · PELVIS II · PROCLAIM · PRODISC C · PRODISC C VIVO · PRODISC L · Pedicle Screw · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · Prodigy Family of SCS IPGs · Pulse · REFORM MIDLINE CORTICAL SCREW SYSTEM · RESTORE · RIALTO · Reform Ti Mod System · SHURFIT LUMBAR INTERBODY · SOVEREIGN · SPINE TRUSS SYSTEM · SPINEJACK · STIMULAN · SYNCHROMED · Spinal Implants · Superion ISS · T2 · T2 ALTITUDE · TLIF · TRITANIUM · Vanta · Vault C · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XLIF · ZEVO · i-FACTOR Putty · iFuse Implant · iGA · icotec Medical BlackArmor Spine Oncology System · prodisc C
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 (90%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Geographic Context
Orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians within 10 mi
27
Per 100K population
0.8
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
UC SAN DIEGO HEALTH HILLCREST - HILLCREST MED CTR
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. Tannous is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 16% of CA peers, with 15 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. Tannous experienced with office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Tannous performed 99 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. Tannous receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Tannous received a total of $390,956 from 38 companies across 406 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. Tannous's costs compare to other orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians in San Diego?
Dr. Tannous's average Medicare payment per service is $339. 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. Tannous) 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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