Medicare Enrolled
Dr. James Lai, MD
Interventional Cardiology · Oakland, CA
Practice pattern: Cardiac & Cardiac
— Practice combining cardiac and cardiac services
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. Lai 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. Lai
Dr. James Lai is an interventional cardiology specialist in Oakland, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lai performed 2,940 Medicare services across 2,313 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lai received a total of $2,602 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 49 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in interventional cardiology. 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. 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 40% volume in CA
$2,602 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,940
Medicare services
Top 40% in CA for interventional cardiology
2,313
Unique beneficiaries
$91
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~155 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
577 | $112 | $789 |
| 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. |
392 | $105 | $365 |
| 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. |
347 | $138 | $410 |
| Remote monitoring of implantable heart device, up to 30 days Remote evaluation of an implanted heart or blood vessel monitoring system over a period of up to 30 days. |
206 | $22 | $101 |
| 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. |
202 | $12 | $111 |
| 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. |
200 | $7 | $61 |
| 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. |
120 | $185 | $1,239 |
| Remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days Remote evaluation of a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the last check. |
92 | $23 | $157 |
| 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. |
86 | $25 | $137 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
78 | $13 | $251 |
| 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. |
76 | $153 | $749 |
| 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. |
63 | $12 | $162 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 59 | $168 | $591 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while an electrocardiogram is monitored under physician supervision. |
51 | $19 | $158 |
| Stress echocardiogram An ultrasound of the heart performed while at rest and during exercise or drug-induced stress to evaluate heart function under different conditions. |
46 | $57 | $551 |
| Follow-up ultrasound of heart blood flow, valves and chambers An ultrasound exam that follows up on the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. It uses sound waves to create images of the heart's structure and function. |
43 | $23 | $179 |
| 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. |
39 | $205 | $1,140 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create images of the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. |
38 | $15 | $158 |
| Transcatheter aortic valve replacement via femoral artery A minimally invasive procedure to replace a diseased aortic heart valve using a catheter inserted through the skin and femoral artery. |
30 | $606 | $5,065 |
| Coronary angiography A procedure to insert a tube into a coronary artery to capture diagnostic images of the heart's blood vessels. |
29 | $177 | $960 |
| Cardiac catheterization | 27 | $171 | $1,171 |
| 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. |
22 | $107 | $553 |
| 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. |
21 | $78 | $476 |
| 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 | $103 | $432 |
| Pacemaker programming, dual lead system Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings. |
16 | $66 | $341 |
| 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. |
13 | $389 | $2,234 |
| 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. |
13 | $103 | $359 |
| Moderate sedation during GI endoscopy Sedation services provided by the physician performing a gastrointestinal endoscopic procedure. This requires an independent trained observer to assist in monitoring the patient. |
13 | $5 | $235 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
11 | $44 | $288 |
| Transesophageal echocardiogram An ultrasound of the heart performed using a probe inserted into the esophagus to obtain detailed images of heart structures and function. |
11 | $94 | $478 |
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.
31.4% high complexity
11.3% medium
57.3% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$2,602
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $372/year across 7 years
Bottom 31% in CA for interventional cardiology
14
Companies
49
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
$2,602 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$433
2023
$391
2022
$67
2021
$98
2020
$122
2019
$505
2018
$986
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$338
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$57
Abbott Laboratories
$38
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Abbott Laboratories
$1,115
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$806
Boston Scientific Corporation
$262
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$105
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$83
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$57
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$43
ABIOMED
$32
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$30
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$20
HeartFlow, Inc.
$16
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$13
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$12
ACIST MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
$8
Top 3 companies account for 83.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(8333) IGT D Coronary · 2ND GEN CENTRIMAG PRIMARY CONSOLE · CVI CONSUMABLES · CardioMEMS HF System · CoreValve Evolut · ELIQUIS · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Heart Valve · FARXIGA · FFRct · GENERAL STRUCTURAL HEART · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Dev · Hi-Torque Whisper guide wire · IGT D Coronary · Impella · LUX DX · LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor · LifeVest · MITRACLIP · Mitra Clip system · ROTABLATOR · SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA · SHOCKWAVE IVL SYSTEM WITH THE SHOCKWAVE C2 CORONARY IVL CATHETER
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
Interventional cardiologists within 10 mi
50
Per 100K population
3.0
County median income
$126,240
Nearest hospital
ALTA BATES SUMMIT 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. Lai is a cardiac & cardiac specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, 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. Lai experienced with echocardiogram, transthoracic?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lai performed 577 echocardiogram, transthoracic 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. Lai receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lai received a total of $2,602 from 14 companies across 49 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. Lai's costs compare to other interventional cardiologists in Oakland?
Dr. Lai's average Medicare payment per service is $91. 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. Lai) 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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