Physician profile
Simon Chao
NPI 1144481532
$1,562,435.57
in general payments reported to CMS, 2019-2025
50 companies · $501K in 2025
The $501K reported for 2025 was more than what 99% of Orthopaedic Surgery providers received nationally (typical 2025 total: $569).
Payments by year
General and research payments by program year, as reported to CMS.
General payments by year: 2019: $98K · 2020: $95K · 2021: $150K · 2022: $217K · 2023: $192K · 2024: $309K · 2025: $501K.
What the payments were for
Nature of payment as categorized by the reporting companies: meals, consulting, travel, and so on.
Royalty Or License: $701K · Consulting Fee: $273K · Food and Beverage: $16K · Travel and Lodging: $10K · Education: $975 · Compensation For Services Other Than Consulting, Including Serving As Faculty Or As A Speaker At A Venue Other Than A Continuing Education Program: $389.
View as a table
| Payment type | Amount (2023-2025) |
|---|---|
| Royalty Or License | $701,240.90 |
| Consulting Fee | $273,419.26 |
| Food and Beverage | $16,218.44 |
| Travel and Lodging | $10,285.93 |
| Education | $974.50 |
| Compensation For Services Other Than Consulting, Including Serving As Faculty Or As A Speaker At A Venue Other Than A Continuing Education Program | $388.80 |
Payment-type detail covers 2023-2025; earlier years are included in totals but not broken out here.
Who reported paying
General payments only, as reported to CMS. Research payments are listed separately below. Product names cover 2023-2025.
| Company | General payments | Years | Top products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Spine | $878,175.73 | 2019-2025 | Posterior Cervical, Dark Star, Dark Star Mis |
| Osseus Fusion Systems, LLC | $286,768.19 | 2023-2025 | |
| Life Spine, INC. | $83,304.06 | 2021-2025 | Dyna-Link Ti Barbs, Prolift Lateral Helo, Prolift Micro |
| Surgentec | $72,409.29 | 2022-2025 | Osteoflo, Hydroputty, Hydrofiber |
| Captiva Spine INC | $53,409.58 | 2024-2025 | Equilox, Towerlox Ext, Watchtower |
| Spinal Elements, INC. | $29,565.62 | 2019-2022 | |
| Integrity Implants INC. Dba Accelus | $28,632.02 | 2023-2024 | Flarehawk |
| Arteriocyte Medical Systems, INC. | $21,659.64 | 2019-2025 | Magellan |
| Ulrich Medical USA, INC. | $20,752.46 | 2020-2025 | |
| Si-Bone, INC. | $18,858.83 | 2019-2025 | |
| Precision Spine, INC. | $14,608.28 | 2019-2020 | |
| Integrity Implants INC. | $14,442.97 | 2020-2022 | Flarehawk |
| Kuros Biosciences USA, INC | $9,105.39 | 2024-2025 | Magnetos |
| Spine Wave, INC. | $6,957.33 | 2019 | |
| Spineology INC. | $6,001.29 | 2019-2024 | Optimesh Expandable Interbody Fusion System |
Show all 49 companies
| Company | General payments | Years | Top products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Globus Medical, INC. | $2,658.13 | 2019-2025 | Elsa, Elsa Al/Atp, Senza |
| Kairos Surgical INC | $2,414.91 | 2022 | |
| Osteocentric Technologies, INC. | $2,208.20 | 2025 | Osteocentric 4.0 X 130mm Locking Bone Screw Fastener St |
| Curiteva, INC. | $1,807.54 | 2024-2025 | |
| Zimvie INC. | $1,569.10 | 2024 | |
| Nexxt Spine LLC | $912.29 | 2023-2025 | Struxxure System, Nexxt Matrixx Expandable Lateral, Nexxt Matrixx Technology |
| Relievant Medsystems, INC. | $869.70 | 2020-2022 | |
| Carlsmed, INC. | $696.62 | 2025 | Aprevo |
| Orthofix Medical, INC. | $447.70 | 2021-2023 | M6-C, Newbridge |
| Medtronic USA, INC. | $426.09 | 2019-2020 | |
| Abbott Laboratories | $379.09 | 2022-2024 | Proclaim |
| Electronic Waveform Lab, INC. | $348.60 | 2020-2022 | |
| Boston Scientific Corporation | $331.32 | 2024-2025 | Intracept |
| Nanohive Medical LLC | $266.45 | 2022-2023 | Hive Standalone Cervical System |
| Medtronic, INC. | $261.02 | 2021-2024 | Osteocool Rf Ablation System |
| 4web, INC. | $248.47 | 2023-2024 | Spine Truss System |
| Curonix LLC | $215.34 | 2022-2024 | Pns Freedom-4a Permanent Neurostimulator Receiver Kit Channel A |
| Stryker Corporation | $175.25 | 2021-2024 | N/A |
| Lenoss Medical INC | $172.48 | 2025 | Osteopearl |
| Alphatec Spine, INC | $169.64 | 2024 | |
| Stimwave Technologies Incorporated | $165.93 | 2019-2021 | |
| Spinal Simplicity, LLC | $159.40 | 2025 | Ha Minuteman G3-R |
| Amplify Surgical, INC. | $138.11 | 2020 | |
| Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC | $133.34 | 2022 | |
| Augmedics INC. | $110.03 | 2021 | |
| Nevro Corp. | $97.27 | 2020 | |
| Ctl Medical Corporation | $93.81 | 2021 | |
| Allergan, INC. | $77.42 | 2021 | |
| Zimmer Biomet Holdings, INC. | $67.56 | 2021 | |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | $64.68 | 2025 | |
| Biotronik Nro, INC. | $35.03 | 2025 | Prospera |
| Biocomposites INC | $31.03 | 2021 | |
| Smith+Nephew, INC. | $22.03 | 2019 | |
| Misonix INC | $11.31 | 2021 |
1 company reported research payments only; those appear in the research section below.
Drugs and devices associated with these payments
CMS records which products a payment was associated with, not how the money was allocated. Association is not allocation: one payment can be associated with several products, and a product listing does not mean the payment was made because of that product. Product detail covers 2023-2025.
Research and ownership
$25,000.00 in research payments reported 2019-2025. Research payments are often institution-directed and tied to clinical trials: they are reported under a clinician's name but frequently go to a hospital or research organization, and usually reflect participation in medical research.
$367,479.10 in ownership or investment interests, as reported to CMS. These are holdings a clinician or an immediate family member has in a company, not payments received.
If you want to bring it up
Most clinicians are glad to talk about this. A respectful way in:
- "I saw Simon Chao listed in the CMS Open Payments database. Can you tell me about your work with those companies?"
- "Is there a generic or alternative to this medication, and would it work as well for me?"
- "What made you choose this particular treatment for my situation?"
These are normal questions. A good clinician will welcome them.
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Source: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019-2025, as reported to CMS by drug and device makers (published June 30, 2026). Drug and device detail covers 2023-2025.