Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Aaron Clark, MD, PHD
Neurological Surgery · San Francisco, 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. Clark 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. Clark
Dr. Aaron Clark is a neurological surgery specialist in San Francisco, CA, with 16 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Clark performed 1,651 Medicare services across 1,193 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Clark received a total of $177,713 from 19 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 595 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological surgery. 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. Clark 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.
✓ 16 years in practice
▲ Top 4% volume in CA
$177,713 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,651
Medicare services
Top 4% in CA for neurological surgery
1,193
Unique beneficiaries
$288
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~103 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. |
393 | $231 | $2,019 |
| 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. |
219 | $106 | $867 |
| 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. |
180 | $53 | $393 |
| 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. |
129 | $139 | $1,080 |
| 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. |
109 | $209 | $1,321 |
| 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. |
86 | $114 | $773 |
| 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. |
72 | $716 | $5,913 |
| 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. |
54 | $1,524 | $9,754 |
| 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. |
50 | $212 | $1,199 |
| Aspiration of bone marrow for spine bone graft | 44 | $58 | $360 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 7-12 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the back involving 7 to 12 spine bone segments. |
42 | $372 | $4,154 |
| 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. |
35 | $641 | $3,934 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 33 | $771 | $8,450 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
31 | $574 | $3,935 |
| Computer-assisted spinal procedure A surgical or diagnostic procedure involving the spine that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning, navigation, or execution. |
30 | $193 | $1,216 |
| Insertion of instrumentation to pelvic bones A surgical procedure involving the placement of hardware or devices into the pelvic bones. |
26 | $79 | $1,862 |
| 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. |
22 | $633 | $6,931 |
| Spinal fusion with cage or mesh insertion A surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space between the bones. |
16 | $205 | $1,705 |
| Spinal fusion with partial bone and disc removal A surgical procedure to join additional segments of the spine. It involves the partial removal of spine bone and disc tissue. |
15 | $398 | $2,545 |
| 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 | $707 | $5,243 |
| Partial bone removal of additional lower back spine segment during fusion This procedure involves the partial removal of bone from an additional segment of the lower spine to release the spinal cord or nerves. It is performed as part of a spinal fusion surgery in the lower back. |
15 | $189 | $899 |
| 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. |
13 | $1,332 | $9,055 |
| Spinal fusion, 1 level, with partial disc removal A surgical procedure to join two or more bones in the middle spine using one bone graft. The procedure involves accessing the spine from the side and partially removing a disc to facilitate the fusion. |
11 | $541 | $9,037 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
11 | $501 | $3,746 |
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.
44.3% high complexity
0.0% medium
55.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$177,713
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $25,388/year across 7 years
Top 9% in CA for neurological surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
19
Companies
595
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
$121,412 (68.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$50,490 (28.4%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$5,810 (3.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$27,025
2023
$17,386
2022
$29,279
2021
$19,480
2020
$11,448
2019
$22,380
2018
$50,715
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Carlsmed, Inc.
$14,818
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$11,022
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,015
icotec Medical Inc.
$120
SI-BONE, INC.
$49
Top 3 companies account for 99.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
NuVasive, Inc.
$108,791
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$48,322
Carlsmed, Inc.
$15,710
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,525
Stryker Corporation
$819
SI-BONE, Inc.
$703
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$363
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$241
SI-BONE, INC.
$217
Life Spine, Inc.
$190
Cerapedics, Inc.
$148
SPINEART USA INC
$140
icotec Medical Inc.
$120
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$120
K2M, Inc.
$104
SEASPINE ORTHOPEDICS CORPORATION
$104
AbbVie Inc.
$35
ABBVIE INC.
$33
Spineology Inc.
$28
Top 3 companies account for 97.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACP · ALIF · AMP · ANTERALIGN SPINAL SYSTEM WITH TITAN NANOLOCK SURFACE TECHNOLOGY · Archon · Aspida · AttraX · BASE · Battalion TLIF - PC · Biologics · CASCADIA Interbody System · CD HORIZON SPINAL SYSTEM · COHERE · CoRoent · EVEREST · EVEREST SPINAL SYSTEM · EXPEDIUM · FormaGraft · Fulfill Graft Containment · GENERAL DBS · Graft Delivery System · IFUSE IMPLANT · IdentiTi · Invictus MIS · LATERAL ACCESS SPINAL SYSTEM · LIF · LessRay · Leverage · MAGEC · MAZOR X SYSTEM · MYSPINE · MaXcess · MaXcess-C · Modulus · NEURO FIXATION · Nuvaline/NuvaMap O.R. · OsseoScrew · Osteocel · Other - Miscellaneous · PERLA TL · PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM · Propel · Pulse · RELINE · Rampart Duo Interbody Fusion System · SYMPHONY · Simplify Cervical Artificial Disc · TLIF · UBRELVY · UNID_PASS · VRAYLAR · Vader Pedicle System · Ventura NanoMetalene · X-CORE · XLIF · aprevo · i-FACTOR Putty · iGA
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 (68%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 9% for neurological surgery in CA.
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. Clark is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 4% in CA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 9% of CA peers, with 16 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. Clark experienced with spinal fusion of additional segment?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Clark performed 393 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. Clark receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Clark received a total of $177,713 from 19 companies across 595 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. Clark's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in San Francisco?
Dr. Clark's average Medicare payment per service is $288. 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. Clark) 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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