Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Tarek El-Sawy, M.D.

Ophthalmology · Cupertino, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
10300 S DE ANZA BLVD, Cupertino, CA 95014
4082533083
In practice since 2008 (17 years)
NPI: 1922269083 verify on NPPES ↗
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. El-Sawy 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. El-Sawy

Dr. Tarek El-Sawy is an ophthalmology specialist in Cupertino, CA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. El-Sawy performed 7,390 Medicare services across 1,575 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. El-Sawy received a total of $2,426 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 25 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in ophthalmology. 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. El-Sawy 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 13% volume in CA $2,426 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
7,390
Medicare services
Top 13% in CA for ophthalmology
1,575
Unique beneficiaries
$42
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~435 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
Botox injection, per unit
An injection of onabotulinumtoxinA, a medication used to temporarily relax muscles or reduce gland activity. The dose is measured in units, with this code representing a single unit administered.
 5,682 $5 $93
Eye photography
Photographic imaging of the interior structures of the eye.
 475 $23 $90
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.
 330 $79 $121
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.
 169 $111 $163
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.
 124 $95 $186
Upper eyelid tendon repair
Surgical repair of the tendon in the upper eyelid to restore its function and structure.
 113 $1,001 $4,204
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
 95 $48 $76
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.
 88 $137 $242
Nasal tear duct probing
A procedure to examine and clear the tear ducts in the nose. It helps restore normal drainage of tears from the eye.
 76 $164 $571
Eyelid growth removal
A procedure to remove a growth from the eyelid.
 55 $294 $764
Chemical nerve block for facial paralysis
Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze specific nerves or muscles on the side of the face.
 53 $166 $737
Eyelid margin reconstruction
Surgical repair to restore the structure and function of the eyelid margin.
 35 $429 $4,364
Office visit for established patient
An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present.
 25 $20 $60
Removal of excessive skin and fat of upper eyelid 16 $761 $2,547
Extensive repair of turning-outward eyelid defect
A surgical procedure to correct an eyelid that turns outward. The repair addresses defects in the eyelid structure to restore normal function and appearance.
 14 $431 $4,093
Tear duct plug insertion
A procedure to insert a small plug into the tear duct opening to help retain tears on the eye surface.
 14 $207 $464
Nasal tear duct probing with tube or stent insertion
A procedure to open a blocked tear duct by probing the area and inserting a tube or stent to maintain drainage.
 14 $280 $2,857
Plastic repair of tear duct
A surgical procedure to repair a tear in the tear duct. This helps restore normal drainage of tears from the eye.
 12 $612 $3,750
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.
0.2% high complexity
76.9% medium
22.9% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$2,426
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $347/year across 7 years
Top 39% in CA for ophthalmology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
14
Companies
25
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
$1,680 (69.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$746 (30.7%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$22
2023
$85
2022
$44
2021
$94
2020
$1,701
2019
$169
2018
$310

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Alcon Vision LLC
$22
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Seagen Inc.
$1,680
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$161
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$120
Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
$86
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$77
Allergan Inc.
$48
ABBVIE INC.
$42
Alcon Vision LLC
$40
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$39
Mallinckrodt LLC
$36
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
$30
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$25
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$21
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$20
Top 3 companies account for 80.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · ALPHAGAN P · Acuvue · BROMSITE · Clareon · DURYSTA · IOLMaster 500 · LUMIGAN · PROKERA · Precision 1 · TEPEZZA · TRAVATAN Z · VYZULTA · XIIDRA · rhopressa
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 (69%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.

Looking for an ophthalmology specialist in Cupertino?
Compare ophthalmologists in the Cupertino area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Ophthalmologists within 10 mi
318
Per 100K population
16.7
County median income
$159,674
Nearest hospital
EL CAMINO HEALTH
5.0 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. El-Sawy is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 13% in CA), with consulting-driven 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. El-Sawy experienced with botox injection, per unit?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. El-Sawy performed 5,682 botox injection, per unit 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. El-Sawy receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. El-Sawy received a total of $2,426 from 14 companies across 25 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. El-Sawy's costs compare to other ophthalmologists in Cupertino?
Dr. El-Sawy's average Medicare payment per service is $42. 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. El-Sawy) 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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →