Dr. Chia Chi Lai, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Lai
Dr. Chia Chi Lai is a gastroenterology specialist in Monterey Park, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lai performed 7,771 Medicare services across 3,697 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lai received a total of $16,981 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 126 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in gastroenterology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Lai 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
4,133 | $66 | $112 |
| 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. |
776 | $109 | $200 |
| Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy A procedure to collect tissue samples from the esophagus, stomach, or upper small intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities. |
529 | $87 | $700 |
| 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. |
463 | $110 | $160 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an established patient with straightforward or low-level medical decision making. The visit requires at least 25 minutes of time spent on the day of service. |
371 | $41 | $70 |
| Colonoscopy with biopsy A procedure to collect tissue samples from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities or disease. |
338 | $111 | $850 |
| 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. |
338 | $78 | $120 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
306 | $78 | $140 |
| 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. |
175 | $96 | $200 |
| Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination. |
136 | $211 | $1,200 |
| 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 | $141 | $250 |
| Endoscopic insertion of stomach tube A flexible endoscope is used to guide the placement of a tube into the stomach. |
86 | $166 | $1,100 |
| Injection beneath large bowel lining via endoscope A flexible endoscope is used to inject medication or fluid beneath the lining of the large intestine. |
18 | $13 | $900 |
| Endoscopic removal of bile or pancreatic duct stone A flexible endoscope is used to remove stones or debris from the bile or pancreatic ducts. |
14 | $130 | $1,500 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (87%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in gastroenterology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
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. Lai is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 13% of CA peers, 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
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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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