Physician profile
James Bales
NPI 1386910578
$1,961.22
in general payments reported to CMS, 2019-2025
6 companies · $100 in 2025
The $100 reported for 2025 was less than what a typical Neurological Surgery provider received nationally (typical 2025 total: $604).
Payments by year
General payments by program year, as reported to CMS.
General payments by year: 2019: $866 · 2020: $103 · 2021: $242 · 2022: $107 · 2023: $69.44 · 2024: $474 · 2025: $100.
What the payments were for
Nature of payment as categorized by the reporting companies: meals, consulting, travel, and so on.
Food and Beverage: $643.
View as a table
| Payment type | Amount (2023-2025) |
|---|---|
| Food and Beverage | $643.37 |
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. Product names cover 2023-2025.
| Company | General payments | Years | Top products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medtronic USA, INC. | $844.15 | 2019 | |
| Depuy Synthes Sales INC. | $456.90 | 2019-2024 | Expedium, Expedium Verse, Altalyne |
| Medtronic, INC. | $350.50 | 2021-2024 | Mazor X System, Accurian |
| Abbott Laboratories | $204.43 | 2022-2025 | Eterna, Penta |
| Livanova USA, INC. | $74.49 | 2021 | |
| Augmedics INC. | $30.75 | 2020 |
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.
If you want to bring it up
Most clinicians are glad to talk about this. A respectful way in:
- "I saw James Bales 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.