Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Gary Kao, M.D.
Optician · Middleburg, FL
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Kao 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. Kao
Dr. Gary Kao is an optician specialist in Middleburg, FL, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kao performed 6,968 Medicare services across 2,553 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kao received a total of $26,442 from 42 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 375 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Kao is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 13 years in practice
▲ Top 13% volume in FL
$26,442 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗6,968
Medicare services
Top 13% in FL for optician
2,553
Unique beneficiaries
$67
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~536 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 (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. |
2,060 | $91 | $372 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
1,988 | $0 | $1 |
| Drug screening test A laboratory test that uses a chemistry analyzer to detect the presence of drugs in a sample. |
509 | $60 | $186 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
503 | $1 | $4 |
| Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS. |
302 | $191 | $596 |
| 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. |
217 | $68 | $263 |
| Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS. |
201 | $153 | $470 |
| 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. |
119 | $121 | $488 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
87 | $53 | $231 |
| Blood glucose test using hand-held instrument A test that measures the level of sugar in the blood using a portable device. The result helps monitor blood glucose levels. |
85 | $3 | $10 |
| Ultrasound guidance for needle placement Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
72 | $43 | $169 |
| 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. |
68 | $191 | $742 |
| 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. |
65 | $172 | $877 |
| 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. |
65 | $93 | $457 |
| Spinal drug pump reprogramming and refill A physician electronically adjusts the settings of a spinal drug infusion pump and refills its medication reservoir. |
62 | $68 | $269 |
| Trigger point injection, 3 or more muscles Injection of medication into three or more specific muscle trigger points to relieve pain. |
52 | $42 | $181 |
| 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. |
50 | $129 | $633 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
50 | $82 | $333 |
| Unclassified drug A medication that does not fit into standard HCPCS or CPT classification categories. |
47 | $208 | $876 |
| 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. |
43 | $185 | $780 |
| 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. |
40 | $124 | $522 |
| 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. |
39 | $86 | $323 |
| 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. |
36 | $178 | $886 |
| 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. |
36 | $92 | $451 |
| Electronic analysis and reprogramming of spinal drug pump This procedure involves electronically analyzing and reprogramming a spinal canal drug infusion pump. It does not include the surgical insertion or removal of the device. |
28 | $30 | $131 |
| Minimally invasive spine decompression, lower spine A minimally invasive procedure to remove bone from the lower spine to relieve pressure on nerve tissue, guided by imaging and accessed through the skin. |
22 | $706 | $3,120 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals. |
21 | $457 | $2,347 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
21 | $255 | $1,286 |
| Electronic analysis of implanted neurostimulator with complex programming This procedure involves the electronic evaluation of an implanted neurostimulator generator. It includes complex programming of spinal cord or peripheral nerve stimulators. |
18 | $45 | $167 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 18 | $6 | $18 |
| 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. |
17 | $202 | $754 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
14 | $8 | $9 |
| Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into other nerve or branch | 13 | $65 | $292 |
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 ↗$26,442
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,777/year across 7 years
Top 6% in FL for optician
42
Companies
375
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
$26,442 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$4,380
2023
$8,521
2022
$6,444
2021
$1,269
2020
$1,517
2019
$685
2018
$3,626
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$4,046
Boston Scientific Corporation
$3,932
Medtronic, Inc.
$2,647
Nuvectra Corporation
$2,293
Spinal Simplicity, LLC
$1,979
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$1,938
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$1,828
PAINTEQ LLC
$1,271
Genesys Orthopedics Systems, L.L.C.
$1,211
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$1,022
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$624
Abbott Laboratories
$465
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$421
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$371
Centinel Spine, LLC
$272
ABBVIE INC.
$239
Stimwave Technologies Incorporated
$203
Lilly USA, LLC
$176
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$171
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc.
$157
SI-BONE, INC.
$124
Nevro Corp.
$109
Amgen Inc.
$104
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$103
Almatica Pharma LLC
$96
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$87
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$81
Saluda Medical Americas, Inc.
$69
Alevio, LLC
$63
Clarius Mobile Health Corp.
$50
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$46
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$43
Curonix LLC
$37
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$24
PFIZER INC.
$23
Orthogenrx Inc.
$20
Valinor Pharma, LLC
$19
SI-BONE, Inc.
$18
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$17
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$16
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$15
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 40.2% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AJOVY · Aimovig · Algovita · BELBUCA · Belbuca · Bionic Navigator · EMGALITY · ETERNA · EUFLEXXA · Evoke SCS · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GRALISE · HA MINUTEMAN G3-R · Horizant · IFUSE IMPLANT · INFINION · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · Infinion 16 · Intracept · KYPHON EXPRESS II KYPHOPAK TRAY · LYVISPAH · MOVANTIK · NALOCET · NURTEC ODT · Nalu Neurostimulation System · Omnia · PAINTEQ · PNS FREEDOM-4A PERMANENT NEUROSTIMULATOR RECEIVER KIT CHANNEL A · PRECISION · PROCLAIM · PRODISC C · PRODISC C VIVO · Prialt · Proclaim IPG · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · RELISTOR · SICURE SACROILIAC JOINT FUSION SYSTEM · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SPRINT PNS System · SYNCHROMEDII · StimQ Receiver Stimulator Kit Channel A US w/Receiver · Superion Indirect Decompression System · TriVisc sodium hyaluronate · UBRELVY · V-LOC 180 · VRAYLAR · WAVEWRITER ALPHA · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XTAMPZA · ZTLido · iFuse Implant · mild Device Kit
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. Total industry engagement is in the top 6% for optician in FL.
Equivalent to $379 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Opticians within 10 mi
158
Per 100K population
70.7
County median income
$86,094
Nearest hospital
ASCENSION ST VINCENT'S CLAY COUNTY
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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Kao is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 13% in FL), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 6% of FL peers.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Kao experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kao performed 2,060 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Kao receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kao received a total of $26,442 from 42 companies across 375 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. Kao's costs compare to other opticians in Middleburg?
Dr. Kao's average Medicare payment per service is $67. 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. Kao) 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. The Transparency Score measures 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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