Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Xavier Caro, M.D

Optician · Northridge, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
18350 ROSCOE BLVD, Northridge, CA 91325
8189930125
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1477656353 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. Caro 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. Caro

Dr. Xavier Caro is an optician specialist in Northridge, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Caro performed 42,120 Medicare services across 464 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Caro received a total of $733 from 5 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 27 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Caro 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 3% volume in CA $733 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
42,120
Medicare services
Top 3% in CA for optician
464
Unique beneficiaries
$33
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~2,217 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
Injection, immune globulin (bivigam), 500 mg 14,760 $56 $164
Tocilizumab injection (Actemra) 12,309 $5 $16
Immune globulin infusion (Octagam)
This procedure involves the administration of immune globulin medication directly into a vein. It is provided in a non-lyophilized liquid form.
7,569 $34 $153
Immune globulin infusion (Gammagard)
An injection of immune globulin (Gammagard Liquid) to provide antibodies. The dose specified is 500 mg.
2,638 $35 $153
Additional hour of intravenous infusion
This code represents each additional hour of intravenous infusion beyond the initial hour for therapy, prevention, or diagnosis.
1,350 $18 $58
Betamethasone steroid injection
An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate.
730 $5 $20
Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less
Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less.
628 $58 $172
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle
A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle.
426 $12 $50
Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg
An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg.
420 $0 $25
Normal saline infusion, 250 cc
Administration of 250 cubic centimeters of normal saline solution into a vein. This procedure involves the intravenous delivery of a sterile saltwater fluid.
410 $1 $20
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)
An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter.
372 $146 $195
Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy
This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period.
146 $25 $76
Vitamin B-12 injection
An injection of vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin) with a dose of up to 1000 mcg.
139 $1 $10
Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less
Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete.
92 $120 $232
Urinalysis, manual
A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells.
58 $3 $25
Punch biopsy of additional skin growth
A small circular tool is used to remove a sample of an extra skin growth for laboratory examination.
38 $54 $100
Punch biopsy of first skin growth
A small, circular piece of skin is removed from a skin growth using a circular blade. The sample is then sent to a laboratory for examination.
18 $115 $150
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 17 $178 $450
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.
30.1% high complexity
68.8% medium
1.1% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$733
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $105/year across 7 years
Bottom 46% in CA for optician
5
Companies
27
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
$733 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$218
2023
$203
2022
$57
2021
$144
2020
$14
2019
$69
2018
$28

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Amgen Inc.
$218
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Amgen Inc.
$355
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$126
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$123
PFIZER INC.
$108
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$21
Top 3 companies account for 82.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Enbrel · INFLECTRA · KRYSTEXXA · Otezla · SAPHNELO · SIMPONI · TAVNEOS · XELJANZ
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 optician specialist in Northridge?
Compare opticians in the Northridge area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse opticians nearby

Geographic Context

Opticians within 10 mi
1,184
Per 100K population
12.0
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
NORTHRIDGE HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER
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. Caro is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% 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. Caro experienced with injection, immune globulin (bivigam), 500 mg?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Caro performed 14,760 injection, immune globulin (bivigam), 500 mg 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. Caro receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Caro received a total of $733 from 5 companies across 27 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. Caro's costs compare to other opticians in Northridge?
Dr. Caro's average Medicare payment per service is $33. 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. Caro) 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 →