Dr. Chonghao Zhao, M.D., PHD, DABMA
What this data tells you about Dr. Zhao
Dr. Chonghao Zhao is an optician specialist in San Gabriel, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Zhao performed 8,423 Medicare services across 1,473 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Zhao received a total of $7,769 from 6 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 26 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Zhao 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min | 2,203 | $23 | $63 |
| Application of low energy heat This procedure involves the application of low energy heat to the body. It is a therapeutic modality used to deliver heat to specific areas. |
2,182 | $4 | $10 |
| Electrical stimulation therapy, per 15 minutes Application of electrical stimulation to the body with a therapist present. The service is billed for each 15-minute increment of treatment. |
2,076 | $10 | $75 |
| 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. |
487 | $105 | $191 |
| Viscosupplementation injection for joint An injection of hyaluronic acid or a derivative into a joint to provide lubrication and cushioning. |
234 | $57 | $200 |
| 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. |
233 | $75 | $200 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
172 | $69 | $200 |
| Ultrasound therapy, each 15 minutes Application of ultrasound waves to tissue for therapeutic purposes. The procedure is billed in 15-minute increments. |
125 | $8 | $34 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 97 | $6 | $40 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
84 | $230 | $450 |
| 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. |
72 | $136 | $225 |
| Psychological test evaluation, first hour A healthcare professional evaluates the results of psychological testing during an initial one-hour session. |
64 | $101 | $200 |
| Spinal injection with imaging guidance A procedure where medication is injected into the middle or upper part of the spinal canal. Imaging technology is used to guide the needle to the correct location. |
51 | $235 | $450 |
| Knee nerve block injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a nerve branch of the knee, performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
47 | $201 | $350 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
39 | $277 | $650 |
| Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into other nerve or branch | 33 | $91 | $230 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
32 | $209 | $400 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
31 | $223 | $450 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
31 | $114 | $250 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
30 | $242 | $450 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement. |
30 | $121 | $350 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
26 | $108 | $158 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into upper neck and back of head nerve An injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid into a nerve located in the upper neck and back of the head. |
24 | $92 | $210 |
| Additional sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into an additional sacral spine nerve root level, guided by imaging. |
20 | $100 | $220 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2021 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2021)
All-time payments by company (2019-2021) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (97%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in optician and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
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 2021 |
| 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. Zhao is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 10% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 17% of CA peers, 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. Zhao experienced with manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min?
Does Dr. Zhao receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Zhao's costs compare to other opticians in San Gabriel?
What does Data Coverage mean?
Is this data up to date?
Explore related providers
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