Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Richard Lin, MD

Ophthalmology · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
10710 N TORREY PINES RD, La Jolla, CA 92037
8585549100
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1821013863 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. Lin 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 →
Are you Dr. Lin? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Lin

Dr. Richard Lin is an ophthalmology specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lin performed 5,980 Medicare services across 2,176 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lin received a total of $3,565 from 27 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 83 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in ophthalmology. 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. Lin 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 16% volume in CA $3,565 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
5,980
Medicare services
Top 16% in CA for ophthalmology
2,176
Unique beneficiaries
$160
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~315 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
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)
This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye.
1,788 $34 $136
Eye injection for retinal disease
A procedure involving the administration of medication directly into the eye.
1,041 $103 $544
Aflibercept eye injection (Eylea) 864 $666 $3,163
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.
713 $67 $248
Compounded drug, not otherwise classified
A medication prepared specifically for an individual patient by a pharmacist or physician, tailored to meet unique needs that cannot be fulfilled by commercially available products.
708 $71 $200
Injection, ranibizumab, 0.1 mg 381 $176 $1,013
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.
202 $97 $350
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.
150 $83 $305
Extended eye exam with retinal drawing
A detailed examination of the back of the eye that includes creating a drawing of the retina.
31 $18 $80
Visual field test, extended
A test that maps your complete field of vision to detect blind spots or peripheral vision loss. Extended testing provides a more detailed assessment than a standard visual field exam.
22 $51 $214
Corneal topography and eye depth measurement
This procedure measures the curvature and depth of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye.
19 $32 $132
Laser removal of recurring cataract
A laser procedure to remove a recurring cataract within the lens capsule.
13 $278 $1,303
Cataract surgery with lens implant
Surgical removal of the clouded natural lens of the eye and replacement with an artificial prosthetic lens to restore vision.
13 $410 $2,065
Retinal photocoagulation to prevent detachment
This procedure uses laser light to create small burns on the retina. It is performed to help prevent the retina from detaching from the back of the eye.
12 $209 $941
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.
12 $129 $453
Ultrasound of eye tissue and structures
A diagnostic imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the eye's internal tissues and structures.
11 $42 $294
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
68.3% medium
31.5% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$3,565
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $509/year across 7 years
Top 31% in CA for ophthalmology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
27
Companies
83
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
$3,565 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,041
2023
$452
2022
$732
2021
$263
2020
$23
2019
$654
2018
$402

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$282
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$186
Carl Zeiss Meditec USA, Inc.
$157
ABBVIE INC.
$78
Thea Pharma Inc.
$73
Alcon Vision LLC
$65
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$56
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$29
Harrow Eye, LLC
$28
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$27
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$23
Amgen Inc.
$23
Glaukos Corporation
$14
Top 3 companies account for 60.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$555
Alcon Vision LLC
$495
Allergan Inc.
$270
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$208
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$200
Optos, Inc.
$192
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$186
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$159
Carl Zeiss Meditec USA, Inc.
$157
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$152
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$145
GLAUKOS CORPORATION
$135
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$123
ABBVIE INC.
$113
Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
$88
Thea Pharma Inc.
$73
Genentech USA, Inc.
$65
Stryker Corporation
$50
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$29
Harrow Eye, LLC
$28
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$25
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$24
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$23
Amgen Inc.
$23
Alimera Sciences, Inc.
$19
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$15
Glaukos Corporation
$14
Top 3 companies account for 37.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · ARGOS · AcrySof · AcrySof IQ VIVITY IOL · BESIVANCE · BromSite (bromfenac ophthalmic solution) 0.075% · Cequa · DUREZOL · ENVISTA TORIC · EYLEA · EYLEA HD · IACCESS · IC-8 Apthera IOL · ILEVRO · IYUZEH · LUMIGAN · Lucentis · MAKO · MIEBO · OCT OPHTHALMOSCOPE · OMNI SURGICAL SYSTEM · OZURDEX · PROLENSA · Rocklatan · Syfovre · TYRVAYA · UPLIZNA · VERACITY SURGICAL · VEVYE · VYZULTA · XDEMVY · XIIDRA · YUTIQ · enVista MX60 IOL · iDose · rocklatan
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.

Looking for an ophthalmology specialist in La Jolla?
Compare ophthalmologists in the La Jolla area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse ophthalmologists nearby

Geographic Context

Ophthalmologists within 10 mi
302
Per 100K population
9.2
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
SCRIPPS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL LA JOLLA
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. Lin is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 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. Lin experienced with retinal imaging (oct scan)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lin performed 1,788 retinal imaging (oct scan) 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. Lin receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lin received a total of $3,565 from 27 companies across 83 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. Lin's costs compare to other ophthalmologists in La Jolla?
Dr. Lin's average Medicare payment per service is $160. 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. Lin) 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 →
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 →