Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Syed Ahmed, M.D.
Optician · Palmdale, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Ahmed 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. Ahmed
Dr. Syed Ahmed is an optician specialist in Palmdale, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Ahmed performed 4,325 Medicare services across 2,406 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Ahmed received a total of $4,654 from 37 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 198 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. Ahmed 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 20% volume in CA
$4,654 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗4,325
Medicare services
Top 20% in CA for optician
2,406
Unique beneficiaries
$111
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~216 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
974 | $106 | $150 |
| 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. |
674 | $73 | $125 |
| 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. |
612 | $99 | $219 |
| 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. |
511 | $176 | $919 |
| 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. |
180 | $66 | $109 |
| 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. |
163 | $143 | $415 |
| Inhaled albuterol and ipratropium bromide via DME Administration of FDA-approved albuterol and ipratropium bromide medication through durable medical equipment. |
118 | $0 | $25 |
| Spirometry test before and after medication A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed of your breathing before and after taking a medication. |
113 | $33 | $150 |
| Lung volume test using sensors A test that measures the amount of air in the lungs using sensors. |
113 | $50 | $100 |
| Pulmonary gas exchange test A test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases. |
113 | $52 | $100 |
| Nursing facility visit, low complexity A daily follow-up visit for an existing patient in a nursing facility involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit requires at least 15 minutes of time if time is used to determine the level of care. |
106 | $63 | $125 |
| 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. |
97 | $135 | $250 |
| Sleep study with continuous airway pressure, age 6+ A sleep study conducted in a sleep lab that monitors breathing and other body functions while administering continuous airway pressure. This test is performed on patients aged 6 years or older. |
83 | $576 | $2,500 |
| 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. |
83 | $151 | $200 |
| Artery puncture collection of blood sample | 79 | $24 | $75 |
| Blood gas test with oxygen saturation A test that measures the levels of gases in the blood, including oxygen saturation. |
79 | $77 | $85 |
| Hemoglobin electrophoresis test A blood test that separates and measures different types of hemoglobin using an electrical charge. It helps identify abnormal hemoglobin variants or imbalances. |
79 | $13 | $30 |
| Sleep study in sleep lab (age 6+) An overnight test conducted in a sleep laboratory to monitor sleep patterns and bodily functions in patients aged 6 years or older. |
48 | $550 | $2,500 |
| 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. |
28 | $82 | $170 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
23 | $53 | $100 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 18 | $185 | $286 |
| Bronchial irrigation and suction for cell collection This procedure uses an endoscope to flush and suction the lung airways in order to collect cells for testing. |
16 | $85 | $720 |
| Emergent tracheostomy An emergency procedure to create an opening in the windpipe to insert a breathing tube, guided by an endoscope. |
15 | $114 | $543 |
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.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$4,654
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $665/year across 7 years
Top 24% in CA for optician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
37
Companies
198
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
$4,574 (98.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$80 (1.7%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$983
2023
$750
2022
$1,506
2021
$567
2020
$257
2019
$307
2018
$283
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$287
Baxter Healthcare
$138
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$136
Insmed, Inc.
$93
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$65
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$62
Philips North America LLC
$42
GENZYME CORPORATION
$41
Medtronic, Inc.
$29
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$26
INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
$21
ABBVIE INC.
$17
Vifor Pharma, Inc.
$15
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 57.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$575
Pulmonx Corporation
$519
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$511
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$445
GENZYME CORPORATION
$239
Grifols USA, LLC
$216
Insmed, Inc.
$210
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$187
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$158
Genentech USA, Inc.
$155
Baxter Healthcare
$138
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$133
Shionogi Inc
$131
ADVANCED RESPIRATORY, INC
$131
Abbott Laboratories
$115
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$80
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$79
Medtronic, Inc.
$59
AbbVie Inc.
$55
ABBVIE INC.
$54
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company
$47
Philips North America LLC
$42
Amgen Inc.
$41
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$39
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$33
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$33
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$29
Biogen, Inc.
$27
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$26
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$24
INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
$21
Circassia Pharmaceuticals Inc
$20
Becton, Dickinson and Company
$20
Allergan Inc.
$17
Advanced Respiratory, Inc
$16
Vifor Pharma, Inc.
$15
COVIDIEN LP
$14
Top 3 companies account for 34.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(4582) DreamStation Cpap Auto Core Cell · (7999) SRC Und · (8874) inCourage · ACTHAR · AIRSUPRA · ANORO · ANORO ELLIPTA · AVYCAZ · Adempas · Arikayce · BEVESPI AEROSPHERE · BEXSERO · BREO · BREZTRI · CHARTIS CATHETER · DALVANCE · DUPIXENT · Da Vinci Surgical System · Esbriet · FASENRA · Fetroja · GIAPREZA · Hillrom - Monarch Airway Clearance System · Hillrom - Vest System Model 105 Home Care · ILLUMISITE · INSPIRE · JARDIANCE · LOKELMA · NUCALA · OFEV · Perforomist · Prolastin-C · Prolastin-C Liquid · RAYOS · SHINGRIX · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · SUPERDIMENSION · SYMBICORT · TEFLARO · TEZSPIRE · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TUDORZA PRESSAIR · TYSABRI · The Vest System Model 105 Home Care · Trilogy 100 · Veklury · XERAVA · Xolair · Yupelri · ZEPHYR DELIVERY CATHETER · ZEPHYR ENDOBRONCHIAL VALVE · ZERBAXA · Zemaira · superDimension
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 (98%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Opticians within 10 mi
94
Per 100K population
1.0
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
ANTELOPE VALLEY HOSPITAL
9.8 mi
9.8 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. Ahmed is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 20% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 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. Ahmed experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Ahmed performed 974 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Ahmed receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Ahmed received a total of $4,654 from 37 companies across 198 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. Ahmed's costs compare to other opticians in Palmdale?
Dr. Ahmed's average Medicare payment per service is $111. 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. Ahmed) 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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