Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Simon Chao, MD
Orthopedic Surgery · North Easton, MA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
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. Chao 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. Chao
Dr. Simon Chao is an orthopedic surgery specialist in North Easton, MA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chao performed 3,757 Medicare services across 2,763 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chao received a total of $1,035,985 from 48 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 440 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. Chao 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.
✓ 18 years in practice
▲ Top 10% volume in MA
$1,035,985 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,757
Medicare services
Top 10% in MA for orthopedic surgery
2,763
Unique beneficiaries
$91
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~209 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. |
536 | $66 | $228 |
| Pelvis X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the pelvic area using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
516 | $21 | $127 |
| 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. |
486 | $38 | $235 |
| MRI contrast dye injection (gadobutrol) | 370 | $0 | $3 |
| 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. |
246 | $38 | $205 |
| 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. |
185 | $91 | $335 |
| 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. |
177 | $26 | $152 |
| 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. |
138 | $24 | $165 |
| 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. |
130 | $309 | $3,600 |
| 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. |
93 | $96 | $1,783 |
| 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. |
77 | $81 | $1,865 |
| 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. |
77 | $81 | $329 |
| 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. |
64 | $197 | $4,000 |
| Bone graft harvest from large bone Surgical removal of bone tissue from a large bone to be used as a graft for another part of the body. |
62 | $114 | $2,300 |
| Self soft tissue graft A surgical procedure where healthy tissue is taken from one part of the patient's body and transplanted to another area to repair or reconstruct damaged tissue. |
59 | $195 | $2,000 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 57 | $6 | $20 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
44 | $51 | $277 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
31 | $27 | $138 |
| Aspiration of bone marrow for spine bone graft | 30 | $56 | $300 |
| Hip X-ray, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hip joint using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
29 | $36 | $176 |
| 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. |
28 | $160 | $2,700 |
| MRI of lower spine with and without contrast An MRI scan of the lower spinal canal performed both before and after the administration of contrast dye to enhance image detail. |
27 | $179 | $2,820 |
| 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. |
25 | $181 | $1,000 |
| 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. |
24 | $74 | $1,803 |
| Lower spine bone segment removal A surgical procedure to cut into or remove a segment of bone from the lower spine. |
22 | $656 | $9,000 |
| Additional spine bone segment removal Surgical removal of an additional segment of bone from the spine during the same procedure. |
21 | $286 | $3,850 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
21 | $602 | $7,000 |
| 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. |
20 | $1,409 | $15,000 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
20 | $573 | $6,000 |
| 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. |
17 | $129 | $471 |
| 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. |
16 | $204 | $1,400 |
| Knee X-ray, 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint that captures three different angles to evaluate the bones and surrounding structures. |
15 | $30 | $141 |
| 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. |
14 | $556 | $6,000 |
| Closed treatment of broken spine bone with cast or brace Non-surgical treatment of a spinal fracture using a cast or brace to stabilize the bone and promote healing. |
12 | $250 | $1,330 |
| 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. |
12 | $529 | $12,000 |
| X-ray of both hips, 3-4 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 3 to 4 views of both hip joints to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
12 | $35 | $206 |
| Surgical removal of middle spine bone segment A surgical procedure to cut into or remove a segment of bone from the middle section of the spine. |
11 | $666 | $8,600 |
| Lower spine bone and disc removal A surgical procedure involving the incision or removal of a segment of bone from the lower spine along with the removal of a spinal disc. |
11 | $1,278 | $9,000 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement Surgical procedure to stabilize a fractured vertebra in the lower spine by inserting a supportive device. |
11 | $326 | $32,005 |
| 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. |
11 | $525 | $10,000 |
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.
7.4% high complexity
18.4% medium
74.2% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$1,035,985
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $147,998/year across 7 years
Top 2% in MA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
48
Companies
440
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
$571,589 (55.2%)
Financial / Ownership
Ownership or investment interests, royalties, and licensing fees
$371,691 (35.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$75,347 (7.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$17,358 (1.7%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$208,861
2023
$179,306
2022
$216,795
2021
$150,050
2020
$95,381
2019
$97,682
2018
$87,910
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Republic Spine
$119,176
SurGenTec
$31,973
Life Spine, Inc.
$20,791
Captiva Spine Inc
$15,775
Integrity Implants Inc. dba Accelus
$15,552
Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc
$2,412
ZIMVIE INC.
$1,569
Curiteva, Inc.
$532
Abbott Laboratories
$304
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$170
Stryker Corporation
$155
Boston Scientific Corporation
$144
4WEB, Inc.
$136
Curonix LLC
$133
Medtronic, Inc.
$41
Top 3 companies account for 82.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Republic Spine
$486,664
Republic Spine, LLC
$208,593
Life Spine, Inc.
$103,833
SurGenTec
$38,288
SPINAL ELEMENTS, INC.
$29,566
Arteriocyte Medical Systems, Inc.
$26,334
Osseus Fusion Systems, LLC
$19,080
Captiva Spine Inc
$15,775
Integrity Implants Inc. dba Accelus
$15,552
Integrity Implants Inc.
$14,443
Precision Spine, Inc.
$13,951
Spine Wave, Inc.
$12,957
SI-BONE, Inc.
$12,227
PRECISION SPINE, INC.
$7,320
SI-BONE, INC.
$6,596
Spineology Inc.
$6,005
Globus Medical, Inc.
$4,572
Kairos Surgical Inc
$2,415
Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc
$2,412
ZIMVIE INC.
$1,569
Cerapedics, Inc.
$1,520
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$870
Curiteva, Inc.
$532
ulrich medical USA, Inc.
$509
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$448
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$426
Abbott Laboratories
$379
Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc.
$349
Nexxt Spine LLC
$338
NanoHive Medical LLC
$266
Medtronic, Inc.
$261
4WEB, Inc.
$248
Curonix LLC
$215
Stryker Corporation
$175
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$170
Stimwave Technologies Incorporated
$166
Boston Scientific Corporation
$144
Amplify Surgical, Inc.
$138
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$133
Augmedics Inc.
$110
Nevro Corp.
$97
CTL Medical Corporation
$94
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$88
Allergan, Inc.
$77
Biocomposites Inc
$31
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$22
ConvaTec Inc.
$15
Misonix Inc
$11
Top 3 companies account for 77.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AQUACEL AG · Anterior Fusion · BOTOX · Biomet SpinalPak · CENTRIC - T RETRACTOR · Centric-S · Cervical-STIM · Cervical-Stim · DARK STAR · DYNA-LINK STAND-ALONE ANTERIOR LUMBAR SYSTEM · Dark Star · Dark Star MIS · Dark Star Pedicle Screw System · Dyna-Link Ti Barbs · EBI Bone Healing System · ELSA · ELSA AL/ATP · EXCELSIUS GPS · Endoskeleton-C · EquiLOX · Excelsius - GPS · Excelsius Robotics System · Expandable Interbody System · Fixation · FlareHawk · Hive C · Hive SA ALIF · Hive Standalone Cervical System · IFUSE IMPLANT · Intracept · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · KYPHON EXPRESS II KYPHOPAK TRAY · Karma · M6-C · MAGNETOS · MARS 3VL · MARS 3VL Retractor · MIS Ultra · Magellan · Matrixx SA-ALIF · Medical Device · N/A · NeXus · OPTIMESH EXPANDABLE INTERBODY FUSION SYSTEM · OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION · OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION SYSTEM · OptiMesh Interbody Fusion System · Osteoflo · PENTA · PNS FREEDOM-4A PERMANENT NEUROSTIMULATOR RECEIVER KIT CHANNEL A · PROCLAIM · PROLIFT · PROLIFT LATERAL · PROLIFT LATERAL FIXATED · Palisade Pedicle Screw System · Posterior Cervical · ProLift · ProLift Lateral · ProLift Lateral Fixated · ProLift Lateral Helo · ProLift Micro · ProLift Micro tube Access · ProLift Pivot · Rampart Duo Interbody Fusion System · SPINE TRUSS SYSTEM · SPINEJACK · SURE-LOK PERCUTANEOUS PEDICLE SCREW SYSTEM · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · SpF XL IIb Implantable Spinal Fusion Stimulator · Spinal · Spinal Implants · Spinal-Stim · StimQ Peripheral Nerve StimulatorSystem · StimQ Receiver Stimulator Kit Channel A US w Receiver · StimQ Receiver Stimulator Kit Channel A US w/Receiver · Stimulan · Stravix · TowerLOX · TowerLOX EXT · WatchTower · Xeomin · Xvision · dualX · i-FACTOR Putty · 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 (55%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 2% for orthopedic surgery in MA.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
434
Per 100K population
59.9
County median income
$126,497
Nearest hospital
GOOD SAMARITAN MEDICAL CENTER
4.2 mi
4.2 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. Chao is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 10% in MA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 2% of MA peers, with 18 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. Chao experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chao performed 536 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. Chao receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Chao received a total of $1,035,985 from 48 companies across 440 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. Chao's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in North Easton?
Dr. Chao's average Medicare payment per service is $91. 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. Chao) 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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