Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Kevin Ammar, MD
Neurological Surgery · Savannah, GA
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. Ammar 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. Ammar
Dr. Kevin Ammar is a neurological surgery specialist in Savannah, GA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Ammar performed 1,562 Medicare services across 1,294 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Ammar received a total of $7,103 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 133 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological surgery. 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. Ammar 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 7% volume in GA
$7,103 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,562
Medicare services
Top 7% in GA for neurological surgery
1,294
Unique beneficiaries
$209
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~82 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. |
247 | $90 | $282 |
| 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. |
117 | $110 | $432 |
| 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. |
97 | $184 | $1,663 |
| 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. |
89 | $202 | $1,374 |
| 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. |
69 | $113 | $380 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views An X-ray imaging test of the lower back and sacrum using at least four different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
64 | $35 | $268 |
| 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. |
58 | $95 | $1,154 |
| 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. |
57 | $100 | $358 |
| 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. |
53 | $186 | $1,288 |
| 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. |
44 | $307 | $2,167 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
40 | $27 | $194 |
| MRI of lower spine, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the lower spinal canal that does not use contrast dye to create detailed images of the spine. |
40 | $90 | $1,262 |
| 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 | $195 | $1,736 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using 4 to 5 different views to visualize the bones and structures in that area. |
35 | $35 | $242 |
| 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. |
33 | $692 | $6,034 |
| 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. |
32 | $165 | $1,282 |
| 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. |
32 | $474 | $4,149 |
| Computer-assisted spinal procedure A surgical or diagnostic procedure involving the spine that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning, navigation, or execution. |
29 | $176 | $1,266 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an established patient with straightforward or low-level medical decision making. The visit requires at least 25 minutes of time spent on the day of service. |
26 | $39 | $114 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
26 | $61 | $192 |
| 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. |
25 | $594 | $4,202 |
| Spinal fusion with disc removal and nerve release, 1 disc This surgery connects two or more vertebrae in the upper spine to stabilize the area. It involves removing a damaged disc and relieving pressure on the spinal cord or nerve. |
23 | $1,318 | $9,216 |
| 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. |
23 | $102 | $1,193 |
| MRI of upper spine without contrast An MRI scan of the upper spinal canal that does not use contrast dye. This imaging test uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the spine. |
23 | $86 | $1,145 |
| Fusion of upper spine bone with removal of disc and release of spinal cord or nerve, each additional disc | 22 | $311 | $2,158 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 21 | $1,178 | $8,852 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
20 | $570 | $3,958 |
| X-ray of spine, 1 view A single-view X-ray image of the spine to visualize the bones and alignment. |
20 | $16 | $116 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 20 | $160 | $543 |
| Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with partial disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse the lower spine bones by accessing the area through the abdomen and partially removing a spinal disc. |
17 | $606 | $8,258 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
17 | $251 | $1,530 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints. |
17 | $22 | $185 |
| 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. |
15 | $1,411 | $16,072 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
15 | $598 | $4,205 |
| MRI of middle spinal canal, without contrast This procedure uses magnetic resonance imaging to create detailed pictures of the middle section of the spinal canal. It is performed without the use of contrast dye. |
15 | $61 | $1,262 |
| 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. |
12 | $203 | $1,042 |
| X-ray of entire middle and lower spine, minimum of 6 views An X-ray imaging procedure that captures at least six views of the entire middle and lower spine to visualize the bones and structures in these regions. |
11 | $66 | $472 |
| CT scan of lower spine, without contrast A computed tomography scan that creates detailed images of the lower spine using X-rays without the use of contrast dye. |
11 | $57 | $946 |
| 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. |
11 | $135 | $533 |
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.
15.6% high complexity
22.8% medium
61.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$7,103
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,015/year across 7 years
Top 38% in GA for neurological surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
15
Companies
133
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
$7,103 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,750
2023
$760
2022
$657
2021
$447
2020
$302
2019
$2,367
2018
$820
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
MiRus, LLC
$1,225
Boston Scientific Corporation
$437
Medtronic, Inc.
$70
Nevro Corp.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 99.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
MiRus, LLC
$3,068
Boston Scientific Corporation
$2,761
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$302
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$149
Titan Spine, LLC
$147
SI-BONE, INC.
$134
Choice Spine, LLC
$118
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$108
Medtronic, Inc.
$87
Surgalign Spine Technologies, Inc.
$87
SI-BONE, Inc.
$61
Baxter Healthcare
$28
Abbott Laboratories
$19
Nevro Corp.
$17
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$17
Top 3 companies account for 86.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
10MM · Blackhawk · CD HORIZON · CODMAN CERTAS · COFLEX INTERLAMINAR TECHNOLOGY · EUROPA Pedicle Screw System · FLOSEAL · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL - THERAPIES · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · General - Pain Management · General - Therapies · IFUSE IMPLANT · INFINION · LIF · MAZOR X SYSTEM · PIVOX Oblique Lateral Spinal System · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · Senza · Superion Indirect Decompression System · TITAN ENDOSKELETON · WAVEWRITER ALPHA · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16
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.
Geographic Context
Neurological surgerists within 10 mi
14
Per 100K population
4.7
County median income
$69,575
Nearest hospital
CANDLER 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. Ammar is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in GA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Ammar experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Ammar performed 247 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. Ammar receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Ammar received a total of $7,103 from 15 companies across 133 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. Ammar's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in Savannah?
Dr. Ammar's average Medicare payment per service is $209. 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. Ammar) 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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