Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Bryan Barnes, MD
Neurological Surgery · Athens, GA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Mixed 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. Barnes 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. Barnes
Dr. Bryan Barnes is a neurological surgery specialist in Athens, GA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Barnes performed 1,289 Medicare services across 1,109 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Barnes received a total of $214,308 from 7 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 48 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. Barnes 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
▲ Top 9% volume in GA
$214,308 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,289
Medicare services
Top 9% in GA for neurological surgery
1,109
Unique beneficiaries
$309
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~68 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 (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. |
193 | $62 | $173 |
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
105 | $300 | $866 |
| 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. |
101 | $193 | $527 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
99 | $78 | $218 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
76 | $161 | $474 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
71 | $38 | $106 |
| 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. |
70 | $1,294 | $4,098 |
| 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. |
70 | $198 | $505 |
| 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. |
68 | $89 | $245 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
67 | $561 | $2,424 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
50 | $574 | $1,667 |
| 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. |
39 | $581 | $1,663 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
29 | $527 | $1,602 |
| 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. |
29 | $121 | $332 |
| Anterior spinal fusion with partial disc removal, each additional disc This procedure involves fusing spine bones together through an incision in the front of the body, with partial removal of the disc, for each additional disc treated. |
27 | $235 | $720 |
| Anterior cervical spine fusion with disc removal Surgical procedure to fuse upper spine bones through the front of the neck, involving partial removal of the intervertebral disc. |
26 | $469 | $2,707 |
| Anterior removal of upper spine bone with nerve release, single segment This procedure involves removing a bone from the upper spine through an anterior approach to release pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is performed on a single spinal segment. |
24 | $1,342 | $3,893 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
23 | $93 | $276 |
| Spinal fusion of neck, posterior approach A surgical procedure to join two or more vertebrae in the cervical spine using a back approach to stabilize the neck. |
19 | $612 | $2,775 |
| Graft of donor bone to spine | 17 | $77 | $225 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment Surgical removal of part of the spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves in one segment. |
16 | $510 | $2,573 |
| Initial hospital admission, low complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving straightforward or low-level medical decision making, with at least 40 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
16 | $63 | $205 |
| Spinal disc stabilization device placement A procedure to insert a device into a single disc space in the lower spine to stabilize the area or reduce pressure. |
15 | $822 | $2,100 |
| New patient office visit, 15-29 minutes An initial office visit for a new patient lasting 15 to 29 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter meets this duration threshold. |
14 | $47 | $150 |
| 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. |
13 | $372 | $1,102 |
| 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. |
12 | $175 | $380 |
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.
34.4% high complexity
0.0% medium
65.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$214,308
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $30,615/year across 7 years
Top 7% in GA for neurological surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
7
Companies
48
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
$200,572 (93.6%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$13,356 (6.2%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$192 (0.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$189 (0.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$500
2023
$270
2022
$7,547
2021
$22,023
2020
$24,323
2019
$77,746
2018
$81,899
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Choice Spine, LLC
$500
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Life Spine, Inc.
$200,572
Choice Spine, LLC
$13,356
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$189
Mazor Robotics Inc.
$147
AbbVie Inc.
$20
Boston Scientific Corporation
$12
ABBVIE INC.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 99.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AMS · Biomet SpinalPak · Blackhawk Ti · Centerline · Cervical MIS · Gruve · MIS Apparatus · Plateau Ti · ProLift · Prolift · THUNDERBOLT MINIMALLY INVASIVE PEDICLE SCREW SYSTEMS · TIGERSHARK X · TigerShark X · UBRELVY
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 7% for neurological surgery in GA.
Geographic Context
Neurological surgerists within 10 mi
10
Per 100K population
7.7
County median income
$52,267
Nearest hospital
ST MARY'S HOSPITAL
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 reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Barnes is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 9% in GA), with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 7% of GA 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. Barnes experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Barnes performed 193 office visit, established patient (20-29 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. Barnes receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Barnes received a total of $214,308 from 7 companies across 48 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. Barnes's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in Athens?
Dr. Barnes's average Medicare payment per service is $309. 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. Barnes) 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.
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