Dr. Christopher Schaller, PA-C
What this data tells you about Dr. Schaller
Dr. Christopher Schaller is a physician assistant in Tacoma, WA, with 12 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Schaller performed 418 Medicare services across 372 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Schaller received a total of $101 from 4 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 5 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in physician assistant. 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. Schaller 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chest fluid aspiration with imaging guidance This procedure involves removing fluid from the chest cavity using imaging technology to guide the needle placement. |
72 | $74 | $967 |
| Abdominal fluid drainage with imaging guidance Removal of fluid from the abdominal cavity using imaging technology to guide the procedure. |
56 | $73 | $366 |
| Ultrasound guidance for blood vessel access Use of ultrasound imaging to help locate and access a blood vessel. This guidance assists healthcare providers in performing procedures such as inserting IV lines or drawing blood. |
56 | $10 | $48 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for central vein access device Use of live X-ray imaging to guide the placement or removal of a central vein access device. |
50 | $12 | $62 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
37 | $8 | $42 |
| 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. |
30 | $34 | $130 |
| Central venous port insertion A surgical procedure to place a small reservoir under the skin for long-term access to the bloodstream. The device is connected to a vein to allow for repeated medication administration or blood draws. |
26 | $230 | $1,146 |
| Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy, first lesion A biopsy procedure where a thin needle is used to collect tissue samples from a growth, guided by ultrasound imaging. This code applies to the first lesion or mass sampled during the session. |
19 | $48 | $246 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
17 | $19 | $94 |
| Insertion of tunneled central venous catheter for infusion, age 5+ A surgical procedure to place a long-term catheter into a large vein for delivering medications or fluids. The catheter is tunneled under the skin to reduce infection risk and provide stable access for patients aged 5 and older. |
15 | $178 | $887 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
14 | $32 | $156 |
| Insertion of non-tunneled central venous catheter A procedure to place a central venous catheter for infusion in patients aged 5 years or older. The catheter is inserted directly into a large vein without being tunneled under the skin. |
14 | $58 | $330 |
| Lumbar puncture with imaging guidance A procedure to remove spinal fluid from the lower back for diagnostic testing, performed using imaging guidance. |
12 | $59 | $304 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2023-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
1.4 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. Schaller is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 27% in WA), with low-engagement industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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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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