Dr. Gary Kao, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Kao
Dr. Gary Kao is an optician in Middleburg, FL, with 13 years in practice. 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 2,060 | $91 | $372 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) | 1,988 | $0 | $1 |
| Drug screening test | 509 | $60 | $186 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) | 503 | $1 | $4 |
| Drug test(s), definitive, utilizing (1) drug identification methods able to identify individual drugs and distinguish between structural isomers (but not necessarily stereoisomers), including, but not limited to gc/ms (any type, single or tandem) and lc/ms | 302 | $191 | $596 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 217 | $68 | $263 |
| Drug test(s), definitive, utilizing (1) drug identification methods able to identify individual drugs and distinguish between structural isomers (but not necessarily stereoisomers), including, but not limited to gc/ms (any type, single or tandem) and lc/ms | 201 | $153 | $470 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 119 | $121 | $488 |
| Joint injection, major joint | 87 | $53 | $231 |
| Blood glucose (sugar) test performed by hand-held instrument | 85 | $3 | $10 |
| Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement | 72 | $43 | $169 |
| Injection of substance into lower spine canal using imaging guidance | 68 | $191 | $742 |
| Injection of lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance, single level | 65 | $172 | $877 |
| Injection of lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance, second level | 65 | $93 | $457 |
| Electronic analysis reprogramming and refill of spinal canal drug infusion pump by physician | 62 | $68 | $269 |
| Injection of trigger points, 3 or more muscles | 52 | $42 | $181 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into joint between lower spine and hip bone using imaging guidance | 50 | $129 | $633 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement | 50 | $82 | $333 |
| Unclassified drugs | 47 | $208 | $876 |
| Injection of anesthetic and/or steroid drug into sacral spine nerve root using imaging guidance, single level | 43 | $185 | $780 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) | 40 | $124 | $522 |
| Injection of anesthetic and/or steroid drug into sacral spine nerve root using imaging guidance, each additional level | 39 | $86 | $323 |
| Injection of upper or middle spine facet joint using imaging guidance, single level | 36 | $178 | $886 |
| Injection of upper or middle spine facet joint using imaging guidance, second level | 36 | $92 | $451 |
| Electronic analysis and reprogramming of spinal canal drug infusion pump | 28 | $30 | $131 |
| Removal of bone from lower spine for decompression of nerve tissue using imaging guidance, accessed through the skin | 22 | $706 | $3,120 |
| Destruction of lower or sacral spinal facet joint nerves using imaging guidance, single facet joint | 21 | $457 | $2,347 |
| Destruction of lower or sacral spinal facet joint nerves using imaging guidance, each additional facet joint | 21 | $255 | $1,286 |
| Electronic analysis of implanted neurostimulator generator with complex spinal cord or peripheral nerve stimulator programming | 18 | $45 | $167 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 18 | $6 | $18 |
| Injection of substance into middle or upper spine canal using imaging guidance | 17 | $202 | $754 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) | 14 | $8 | $9 |
| Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into other nerve or branch | 13 | $65 | $292 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗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 (2024)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
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.
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 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), and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 6%).
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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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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