Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Timothy Kao, M.D.

Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program · Columbus, GA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
2616 WARM SPRINGS RD, Columbus, GA 31904
7063233491
Registered in NPPES since 2011
NPI: 1407140031 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. 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. Timothy Kao is a student in an organized health care education/training program specialist in Columbus, GA, with 15 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kao performed 2,986 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kao received a total of $2,104 from 19 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 74 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. 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. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 15 years of NPI registration ▲ Top 6% volume in GA $2,104 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary — 2023

Medicare Utilization ↗
2,986
Medicare services
Top 6% in GA for student in an organized health care education/training program
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$78
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →

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
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a patient who has previously been seen by the provider.
825 $77 $207
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.
590 $58 $150
Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan)
Imaging of the optic nerve.
344 $24 $65
Corneal topography and eye depth measurement
This procedure measures the curvature and depth of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye.
235 $23 $68
Visual field test, extended
A test that maps your complete field of vision to detect blind spots or peripheral vision loss. Extended testing provides a more detailed assessment than a standard visual field exam.
214 $40 $101
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.
201 $77 $204
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)
This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye.
168 $26 $66
Cataract surgery with lens implant
Surgical removal of the clouded natural lens of the eye and replacement with an artificial prosthetic lens to restore vision.
152 $404 $1,081
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a new patient.
64 $94 $255
Eye drainage system examination
An examination of the internal drainage system of the eye to assess how fluid flows and drains from the eye.
54 $17 $47
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.
40 $99 $272
Ultrasound scan of cornea to determine thickness
An ultrasound procedure used to measure the thickness of the cornea.
31 $7 $22
Laser removal of recurring cataract
A laser procedure to remove a recurring cataract within the lens capsule.
26 $236 $678
Laser repair to improve eye fluid flow
A laser procedure used to enhance the drainage of fluid within the eye.
25 $177 $557
Complex cataract removal with lens implant
A surgical procedure to remove a cataract from the eye and insert an artificial lens to restore vision.
17 $560 $1,571
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
5.1% high complexity
18.2% medium
76.7% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$2,104
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $351/year across 6 years
Top 17% in GA for student in an organized health care education/training program
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
19
Companies
74
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →

Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$657
2023
$745
2022
$268
2021
$165
2020
$121
2019
$149

Payments by company (2024)

Alcon Vision LLC
$207
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$192
Amgen Inc.
$169
ABBVIE INC.
$70
Thea Pharma Inc.
$20
Top 3 companies account for 86.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2019-2024) ›
Alcon Vision LLC
$393
ABBVIE INC.
$360
Allergan, Inc.
$274
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$192
Amgen Inc.
$169
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$125
TearLab Corp
$118
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$99
Spark Therapeutics, Inc.
$92
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$59
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$48
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.
$38
RxSight Inc
$32
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$25
Thea Pharma Inc.
$20
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$19
Shire North American Group Inc
$16
Glaukos Corporation
$14
Omeros Corporation
$12
Top 3 companies account for 48.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · AcrySof · Cequa · Clareon · DEXTENZA · DURYSTA · IYUZEH · LOTEMAX SM · LUMIGAN · LenSx · Omidria · RXSIGHT CONTACT LENS · ReSure Sealant · Rocklatan · TEARLAB OSMOLARITY SYSTEM · TEPEZZA · VUITY · VYZULTA · XDEMVY · XELPROS · XIIDRA · iStent inject Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent System · rhopressa
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
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Geographic Context

Student in an organized health care education/training programs in nearby ZIP areas
286
County median income
$56,622
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
JACK HUGHSTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
4.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPES NPPES snapshot; verify current record
Medicare Enrollment PECOS PECOS snapshot
Practice Data Medicare Util. Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open Payments CY 2024
Disciplinary History — Not included 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. Kao is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in GA), with 15 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. Kao experienced with comprehensive eye exam, established patient?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kao performed 825 comprehensive eye exam, established patient services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Kao receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kao received a total of $2,104 from 19 companies across 74 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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 student in an organized health care education/training programs in Columbus?
Dr. Kao's average Medicare payment per service is $78. 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
About this page

This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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. Industry payment disclosure alone establishes neither wrongdoing nor legality. 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 →