Medicare Enrolled
Dr. David Lao, MD
Cardiovascular Disease · Carmichael, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-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. Lao 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. Lao
Dr. David Lao is a cardiovascular disease specialist in Carmichael, CA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lao performed 2,205 Medicare services across 1,737 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lao received a total of $10,705 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 356 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cardiovascular disease. 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. Lao 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.
✓ 17 years in practice
▲ Top 45% volume in CA
$10,705 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,205
Medicare services
Top 45% in CA for cardiovascular disease
1,737
Unique beneficiaries
$92
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~130 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 (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. |
592 | $99 | $515 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
373 | $12 | $145 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
181 | $99 | $391 |
| 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. |
155 | $10 | $275 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
134 | $160 | $2,041 |
| Cardiac catheterization | 80 | $200 | $1,768 |
| 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. |
75 | $143 | $760 |
| Critical care, first 30-74 min Emergency medical care for a critically ill or injured patient lasting between 30 and 74 minutes. This service involves direct patient care and medical decision making to stabilize the patient. |
72 | $174 | $1,074 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
54 | $66 | $289 |
| Coronary stent placement A procedure to insert a stent into a coronary artery or its branch to keep it open, using balloon dilation during the process. |
43 | $402 | $3,053 |
| External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm. |
42 | $20 | $200 |
| Insertion of tube in right and left heart chambers and coronary artery for diagnosis with review by radiologist | 37 | $279 | $2,212 |
| EKG interpretation and report A standard electrocardiogram test that records the heart's electrical activity using at least 12 leads. The service includes a professional interpretation of the results and a written report. |
35 | $7 | $62 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
35 | $169 | $901 |
| Continuous external EKG monitoring, 8-15 days This procedure involves recording heart rhythm continuously using an external EKG device over a period of 8 to 15 days. |
32 | $11 | $100 |
| Pacemaker programming, dual lead system Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings. |
32 | $66 | $312 |
| 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. |
32 | $127 | $765 |
| 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. |
32 | $69 | $361 |
| Remote pacemaker monitoring, 90 days Remote assessment of a pacemaker system, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless devices, performed up to 90 days apart. |
23 | $23 | $145 |
| Intravascular ultrasound of heart vessel, initial An ultrasound procedure used to evaluate a blood vessel within the heart during a diagnostic or treatment procedure. |
21 | $57 | $376 |
| Hospital discharge management, 30+ min This service covers the care provided by a physician or qualified healthcare professional on the day a patient is discharged from the hospital. It requires more than 30 minutes of total time spent on the day of discharge. |
19 | $96 | $417 |
| Electrocardiogram, 1-3 leads with physician review A heart rhythm test using one to three electrodes to record electrical activity, with interpretation by a physician. |
16 | $11 | $80 |
| Coronary angiography A procedure to insert a tube into a coronary artery to capture diagnostic images of the heart's blood vessels. |
15 | $119 | $1,442 |
| 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. |
14 | $108 | $530 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram, with physician review of the results. |
13 | $12 | $128 |
| Stress echocardiogram with ECG monitoring An ultrasound of the heart performed while monitoring heart rhythm during rest, exercise, or medication-induced stress, followed by a review and report of the findings. |
13 | $201 | $1,098 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It allows healthcare providers to examine the structure and blood flow within these arteries. |
12 | $67 | $500 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries at rest and after exercise This test uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the legs while the patient is resting and after physical activity to assess blood flow. |
12 | $106 | $781 |
| Ultrasound of heart blood vessel or graft An ultrasound exam to evaluate blood flow in a heart blood vessel or graft, including a radiologist's review of the initial vessel. |
11 | $75 | $345 |
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.
14.1% high complexity
5.3% medium
80.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$10,705
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,529/year across 7 years
Top 26% in CA for cardiovascular disease
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
22
Companies
356
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.
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$10,705 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,629
2023
$2,469
2022
$2,301
2021
$1,835
2020
$1,037
2019
$1,004
2018
$431
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medtronic, Inc.
$539
Boston Scientific Corporation
$272
Inari Medical, Inc.
$252
ABIOMED
$224
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$218
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$124
Top 3 companies account for 65.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Medtronic, Inc.
$2,520
Boston Scientific Corporation
$1,679
ABIOMED
$1,549
Inari Medical, Inc.
$1,268
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$890
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$642
CryoLife, Inc.
$373
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$353
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$304
Abbott Laboratories
$274
Shockwave Medical, Inc
$195
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$192
Linvatec Corporation
$110
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$66
CHIESI USA, INC.
$54
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$51
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$51
Terumo Medical Corporation
$45
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$31
Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc.
$22
Amgen Inc.
$19
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$17
Top 3 companies account for 53.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACIST RXI SYSTEM · ALLOGRAFT TISSUE · AVVIGO Guidance System · Azure · BRILINTA · COMET · CT THROMBECTOMY SYSTEM KIT · Circulatory Support · Comet · CoreValve Evolut · DXTERITY · Definity · Diamondback Peripheral · EXCLUDER Conformable AAA Endoprosthesis with Active Control · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve · FFRANGIO · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · FilterWire EZ · FlowTriever · GLIDESHEATH SLENDER · GLIDEWIRE · GORE EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · General - Stents · Guidezilla · IN.PACT Admiral · Impella · KENGREAL · KENGREAL 50MG/10ML L · LAUNCHER · LifeVest · MAMBA · MITRACLIP · ONYX FRONTIER · OPTICROSS · On-X · OptiCross · ROTABLATOR · ROTAPRO · Repatha · Resolute · RotaWire and wireClip Torquer · Rotablator Rotational Atherectomy System Console Kit · S · SHOCKWAVE IVL SYSTEM WITH THE SHOCKWAVE C2 CORONARY IVL CATHETER · SYMPLICITY G3 · SYNERGY · Shockwave IVL System with the Shockwave C2 Coronary IVL Catheter · Stingray · TELEMARK MICROCATHETER · TELESCOPE · Telescope · Wolverine Coronary Cutting Balloon · XARELTO
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 →
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Cardiologists within 10 mi
154
Per 100K population
9.7
County median income
$88,724
Nearest hospital
MERCY SAN JUAN 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. Lao is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 17 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. Lao experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lao performed 592 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Lao receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lao received a total of $10,705 from 22 companies across 356 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. Lao's costs compare to other cardiologists in Carmichael?
Dr. Lao's average Medicare payment per service is $92. 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. Lao) 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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