Dr. Emily Charlson, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Charlson
Dr. Emily Charlson is an ophthalmology specialist in Palo Alto, CA, with 11 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Charlson performed 1,887 Medicare services across 1,616 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Charlson received a total of $143,528 from 35 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 344 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in ophthalmology. 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. Charlson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
739 | $103 | $175 |
| 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. |
381 | $72 | $115 |
| Retinal imaging (OCT scan) This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye. |
163 | $35 | $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. |
124 | $116 | $250 |
| Visual field test, intermediate A test that measures your side vision to check for blind spots or other vision changes. |
122 | $41 | $190 |
| Eyelid margin reconstruction Surgical repair to restore the structure and function of the eyelid margin. |
72 | $460 | $2,500 |
| Injection into skin growths, 1-7 A procedure involving the injection of medication into one to seven skin growths. |
48 | $52 | $150 |
| Removal of excessive skin and fat of upper eyelid | 40 | $902 | $2,500 |
| Eyelid margin removal and repair Surgical removal of up to one-quarter of the eyelid margin followed by repair of the eyelid. |
38 | $525 | $2,300 |
| Suture repair of turning-inward eyelid defect A surgical procedure to correct an eyelid that turns inward. The condition is repaired using sutures to restore normal eyelid position. |
32 | $362 | $1,300 |
| Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan) Imaging of the optic nerve. |
28 | $32 | $125 |
| Insertion of probe into nasal tear duct | 25 | $130 | $600 |
| Upper eyelid muscle shortening or advancement A surgical procedure to shorten or advance the upper eyelid muscle. It is performed to correct drooping or paralysis of the eyelid. |
24 | $855 | $2,000 |
| 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 | $54 | $230 |
| Correction of widely-opened upper eyelid A surgical procedure to adjust the upper eyelid to correct a condition where it remains excessively open. |
15 | $413 | $3,000 |
| Removal of chronic eyelid growth This procedure involves the surgical removal of a long-standing growth on the eyelid. |
14 | $114 | $600 |
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 (94%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in ophthalmology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for ophthalmology in CA.
Geographic Context
4.1 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. Charlson is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 3% of CA peers.
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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