Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Aho, M.D.

Neurological Surgery · Whittier, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Mixed engagement
12291 WASHINGTON BLVD, Whittier, CA 90606
5626980679
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1295775807 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. Aho 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. Aho

Dr. Christopher Aho is a neurological surgery specialist in Whittier, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Aho performed 193 Medicare services across 139 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Aho received a total of $346,104 from 7 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 59 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological surgery. The majority of payments are classified as financial or ownership interests (royalties, licensing fees, or investment interests). Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Aho 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ 193 Medicare services $346,104 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
193
Medicare services
Bottom 38% in CA for neurological surgery
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
139
Unique beneficiaries
$117
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~10 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.
 75 $100 $285
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.
 51 $142 $545
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.
 35 $99 $290
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.
 32 $139 $350
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.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$346,104
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $57,684/year across 6 years
Top 5% in CA for neurological surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
7
Companies
59
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.

Financial / Ownership
Ownership or investment interests, royalties, and licensing fees
$174,166 (50.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$170,169 (49.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$1,105 (0.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$665 (0.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$25
2022
$150
2021
$534
2020
$1,049
2019
$174,178
2018
$170,169

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Neo Spine USA, Inc.
$25
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Republic Spine, LLC
$344,778
Clariance, Inc.
$1,105
Integrity Implants Inc.
$111
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$39
Abbott Laboratories
$34
Neo Spine USA, Inc.
$25
LeMaitre Vascular, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ANASTOCLIP · CODMAN CERTAS · Erisma-LP · Neo Pedicle Screw System · Ossimend · Penta SCS Leads
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 →

Payments are distributed across multiple categories with no single dominant type. Total industry engagement is in the top 5% for neurological surgery in CA.

Looking for a neurological surgery specialist in Whittier?
Compare neurological surgerists in the Whittier area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Neurological surgerists within 10 mi
245
Per 100K population
2.5
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
PIH HEALTH HOSPITAL-WHITTIER
2.5 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. Aho is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 5% 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. Aho experienced with hospital follow-up visit, high complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Aho performed 75 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. Aho receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Aho received a total of $346,104 from 7 companies across 59 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. Aho's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in Whittier?
Dr. Aho's average Medicare payment per service is $117. 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. Aho) 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.

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 →