Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Elijah Wogu, DO

Neurological Surgery · San Luis Obispo, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
620 CALIFORNIA BLVD, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
8055434319
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1164622908 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. Wogu 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. Wogu

Dr. Elijah Wogu is a neurological surgery specialist in San Luis Obispo, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Wogu performed 1,030 Medicare services across 531 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Wogu received a total of $3,080 from 10 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 35 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological surgery. 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. Wogu 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.

✓ 18 years in practice ▲ Top 9% volume in CA $3,080 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,030
Medicare services
Top 9% in CA for neurological surgery
531
Unique beneficiaries
$161
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~57 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
Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity
Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
434 $96 $324
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.
113 $97 $338
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 83 $174 $644
Hospital discharge management, 30+ min
This service covers the care provided by a physician or qualified healthcare professional on the day a patient is discharged from the hospital. It requires more than 30 minutes of total time spent on the day of discharge.
49 $93 $336
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.
48 $198 $794
Critical care, first 30-74 min
Emergency medical care for a critically ill or injured patient lasting between 30 and 74 minutes. This service involves direct patient care and medical decision making to stabilize the patient.
47 $169 $854
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.
46 $128 $628
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.
43 $137 $454
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.
34 $371 $1,518
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.
31 $70 $230
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.
22 $1,179 $5,693
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.
20 $176 $580
Wound closure utilizing tissue adhesive(s) only 20 $104 $331
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.
14 $582 $2,326
Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments
Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back.
14 $585 $2,335
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.
12 $198 $800
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.
13.2% high complexity
0.0% medium
86.8% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$3,080
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $513/year across 6 years
Top 50% in CA for neurological surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
10
Companies
35
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
$3,080 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,023
2023
$1,402
2022
$141
2021
$59
2019
$21
2018
$435

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Abbott Laboratories
$982
Stryker Corporation
$41
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Abbott Laboratories
$1,237
Medtronic, Inc.
$913
Spinal Elements, Inc.
$217
SPINAL ELEMENTS, INC.
$212
Stryker Corporation
$123
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$117
Centinel Spine, LLC
$100
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$84
Ceribell, Inc.
$55
KCI USA, Inc.
$22
Top 3 companies account for 76.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADHERUS AUTOSPRAY DURAL SEALANT · ANDEXXA · CATALYFT PL EXPANDABLE INTERBODY SYSTEM · CLYDESDALE PTC SPINAL SYSTEM · Ceribell Rapid Response EEG · ETERNA · LAMITRODE · MAZOR X SYSTEM · Medical Device · NA · PREVENA · PROCLAIM · RIALTO · SPINEJACK · STALIF C · UNIVERSAL NEURO 3
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.

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

Geographic Context

Neurological surgerists within 10 mi
5
Per 100K population
1.8
County median income
$93,398
Nearest hospital
FRENCH HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER
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. Wogu is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 9% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 18 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. Wogu experienced with hospital follow-up visit, high complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Wogu performed 434 hospital follow-up visit, high complexity 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. Wogu receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Wogu received a total of $3,080 from 10 companies across 35 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. Wogu's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in San Luis Obispo?
Dr. Wogu's average Medicare payment per service is $161. 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. Wogu) 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 →