Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Rebecca Kuo, M. D.
Orthopedic Surgery · Joliet, IL
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. Kuo 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 →
Are you Dr. Kuo?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Kuo
Dr. Rebecca Kuo is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Joliet, IL, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kuo performed 1,907 Medicare services across 946 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kuo received a total of $117,568 from 51 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 351 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Kuo 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 40% volume in IL
$117,568 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,907
Medicare services
Top 40% in IL for orthopedic surgery
946
Unique beneficiaries
$60
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min A therapy session using exercises to improve strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility. Each 15-minute unit is billed separately. |
309 | $19 | $80 |
| Neuromuscular re-education therapy, per 15 min A therapy procedure designed to re-educate the functional connection between the brain, nerves, and muscles. It is billed in 15-minute increments. |
241 | $25 | $75 |
| 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. |
215 | $70 | $105 |
| Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min | 208 | $18 | $75 |
| 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. |
172 | $30 | $164 |
| 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. |
133 | $102 | $222 |
| 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. |
117 | $45 | $72 |
| 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. |
92 | $130 | $256 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
75 | $28 | $165 |
| Electrical stimulation therapy Application of electrical stimulation to one or more body areas as part of a therapy plan. This procedure is used for indications other than wound care. |
60 | $8 | $70 |
| 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. |
57 | $103 | $156 |
| 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. |
48 | $35 | $226 |
| 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. |
35 | $177 | $2,600 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
30 | $45 | $221 |
| 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. |
21 | $26 | $132 |
| Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 30 minutes | 17 | $78 | $150 |
| 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. |
16 | $221 | $2,800 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
13 | $670 | $5,600 |
| 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. |
13 | $924 | $8,500 |
| 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 | $198 | $1,405 |
| 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. |
12 | $31 | $251 |
| 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 | $143 | $287 |
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.
1.5% high complexity
1.6% medium
97.0% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$117,568
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $16,795/year across 7 years
Top 8% in IL for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
51
Companies
351
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.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$43,639 (37.1%)
Financial / Ownership
Ownership or investment interests, royalties, and licensing fees
$38,579 (32.8%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$34,854 (29.6%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$496 (0.4%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$19,194
2023
$16,495
2022
$12,294
2021
$16,206
2020
$6,408
2019
$15,341
2018
$31,630
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$10,242
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$6,443
Clariance, Inc.
$401
SPINAL ELEMENTS, INC.
$369
SI-BONE, INC.
$283
Spinevision SAS
$217
Abbott Laboratories
$193
Innovasis Inc
$176
Medtronic, Inc.
$162
Highridge Medical LLC
$149
ZIMVIE INC.
$141
Providence Medical Technology, Inc.
$137
Alafair Biosciences, Inc.
$91
Stryker Corporation
$61
Boston Scientific Corporation
$32
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$20
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$17
Amgen Inc.
$16
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$15
MIMEDX Group, Inc.
$14
DeRoyal Industries, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 89.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Life Spine, Inc.
$38,731
SEASPINE ORTHOPEDICS CORPORATION
$24,299
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$17,817
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$10,242
SeaSpine Orthopedics Corporation
$5,975
SI-BONE, INC.
$4,491
Innovasis Inc
$4,266
SI-BONE, Inc.
$1,722
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,572
Stryker Corporation
$866
NuVasive, Inc.
$677
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$543
Providence Medical Technology, Inc.
$532
Camber Spine Technologies LLC
$511
Spinal Elements, Inc.
$500
Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC
$440
Clariance, Inc.
$401
SPINAL ELEMENTS, INC.
$369
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$361
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$336
Foundation Fusion Solutions, LLC
$311
Abbott Laboratories
$250
Globus Medical, Inc.
$231
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$229
Boston Scientific Corporation
$221
Spinevision SAS
$217
Spineart USA Inc
$178
Sanara MedTech Inc.
$163
Highridge Medical LLC
$149
ZIMVIE INC.
$141
Amendia, Inc.
$125
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$122
Alafair Biosciences, Inc.
$91
Spinal Simplicity, LLC
$90
Medacta USA, Inc.
$74
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$36
DeRoyal Industries, Inc.
$34
Aroa Biosurgery Incorporated
$24
Centinel Spine, LLC
$23
KCI USA, Inc.
$22
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$20
Terumo BCT, Inc.
$20
Medline Industries, Inc.
$19
PolyNovo North America LLC
$17
Baudax Bio Inc.
$17
Theragen, Inc.
$17
Next Science LLC
$16
Amgen Inc.
$16
Spineology Inc.
$15
MIMEDX Group, Inc.
$14
Nuvectra Corporation
$14
Top 3 companies account for 68.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACF · ACIS · ACTIVL ARTIFICIAL DISC · ALTERA · ANJESO · AQUAMANTYS · ARCADIUS XP L · AUGMENT INJECTABLE · AVIATOR · Accell Evo3 · ActaStim-S · Algovita · All Spine Stimulation · Arsenal · Avatar · BIO4 · BRAINLAB · BRIDION · Ballast · Biomet SpinalPak · Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate System · CD HORIZON SPINAL SYSTEM · COUGAR · CellerateRx · Centerline · Centric Expandable · Cervical Stim · Cervical-STIM · Cervical-Stim · Cervical-Stim Osteogenesis Stimulator · Daytona · ETERNA · EVENITY · EVEREST SPINAL SYSTEM · EXPEDIUM · Erisma-LP · Excelsius - GPS · Excelsius Robotics System · Explorer TO · FORTIFY · Flex NPWT Single Use System · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GRAFIX · Ghost Steerable TLIF · Gruve · HA MINUTEMAN G3-R · Hollywood NanoMetalene · Hyalomatrix Wound Device · IFUSE IMPLANT · IFUSE IMPLANT SYSTEM · INFINITY · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · Idys-ALIF · Iris · Lateral · Lattus · LongBow · M6-C · M6-C Artificial Cervical Disc · MESA SPINAL SYSTEM · MOBI-C PLUG & FIT US · Mariner · Mariner Deformity · Mariner MCT · Mariner MIS · Mariner MIS TLIF Retractor · MazorX - Renaissance · Medical Devices · Meridian · Mobi-C · Modulus · MySpine · NextAR Knee · NorthStar · O-ARM · OPTIMESH EXPANDABLE INTERBODY FUSION SYSTEM · OsteoStrand · OsteoStrand Plus · PERLA TL · PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM · PIVOX Oblique Lateral Spinal System · PRESTIGE · PREVENA · PROCLAIM · PRODISC C · Physio-Stim · Plateau LO · Plateau X · ProLift Lateral · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · Prodigy Family of SCS IPGs · Pulse · Reef TA · Reef TH · Reef TO · Regatta · Regatta Lateral System · SImpact · SPINEJACK · SPINEMAP · SYMPHONY · SYNAPSE · Sentry · Shoreline · Shoreline ACS · Shoreline ASC · Simplify Cervical Artificial Disc · Skipjack · Skyhawk · SpF · Spinal-Stim · Strand Plus · SurgX · TLX · TRITANIUM · UNID_PASS · UNiD · VIPER · Ventura NanoMetalene · VersaWrap · ViviGen · Vu aPOD Prime NanoMetalene · WAVEFORM C · XLIF · iFuse Implant
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 →
The majority of payments (37%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 8% for orthopedic surgery in IL.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
171
Per 100K population
24.5
County median income
$107,799
Nearest hospital
SAINT JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER
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. Kuo is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 8% of IL 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. Kuo experienced with physical therapy exercise, per 15 min?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kuo performed 309 physical therapy exercise, per 15 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. Kuo receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kuo received a total of $117,568 from 51 companies across 351 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. Kuo's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Joliet?
Dr. Kuo's average Medicare payment per service is $60. 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. Kuo) 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 →
Explore related providers
Specialty guide
Understanding Orthopedic Surgery
Common procedures, typical costs, and what industry payments mean in orthopedic surgery.
Same specialty & city
Orthopedic Surgeons in Joliet
Browse orthopedic surgeons in Joliet ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Orthopedic Surgeons in IL
Orthopedic surgeons ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Orthopedic Surgeons in IL
Which IL orthopedic surgeons receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Life Spine, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Life Spine, Inc.
By company
SEASPINE ORTHOPEDICS CORPORATION Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from SEASPINE ORTHOPEDICS CORPORATION.
By company
Orthofix Medical, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Orthofix Medical, Inc.
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.
Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology