Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Albert Lai, MD
Optician · Placentia, 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. 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. Albert Lai is an optician specialist in Placentia, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lai performed 4,769 Medicare services across 1,283 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lai received a total of $12,505 from 34 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 269 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. 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 18% volume in CA
$12,505 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗4,769
Medicare services
Top 18% in CA for optician
1,283
Unique beneficiaries
$54
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~251 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
1,421 | $0 | $1 |
| 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. |
1,365 | $73 | $250 |
| 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. |
824 | $103 | $340 |
| Drug test with direct observation A drug screening test performed under direct observation to ensure the sample is provided correctly. This method is used to verify the integrity of the specimen collection process. |
268 | $12 | $32 |
| Office visit for established patient An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present. |
135 | $19 | $62 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
118 | $59 | $219 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone. |
114 | $103 | $339 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
52 | $105 | $385 |
| Trigger point injection, 3 or more muscles Injection of medication into three or more specific muscle trigger points to relieve pain. |
46 | $50 | $169 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
40 | $106 | $463 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
38 | $60 | $266 |
| Additional sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into an additional sacral spine nerve root level, guided by imaging. |
37 | $45 | $143 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
34 | $63 | $238 |
| Spinal injection with imaging guidance A procedure where medication is injected into the middle or upper part of the spinal canal. Imaging technology is used to guide the needle to the correct location. |
32 | $86 | $282 |
| 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. |
30 | $133 | $448 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals. |
29 | $212 | $874 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
29 | $67 | $269 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
26 | $76 | $262 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
25 | $130 | $539 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement. |
25 | $73 | $308 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
21 | $109 | $345 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy the nerves supplying a single upper or middle spinal facet joint. It is performed to interrupt pain signals from that specific joint. |
16 | $221 | $925 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional upper or middle spinal facet joint. |
16 | $79 | $322 |
| 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. |
16 | $12 | $39 |
| Bupivacaine injection, 0.5 mg An injection of bupivacaine, a local anesthetic, administered in a dose of 0.5 mg. |
12 | $0 | $20 |
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 ↗$12,505
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,786/year across 7 years
Top 12% in CA for optician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
34
Companies
269
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
$12,505 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$421
2023
$1,077
2022
$804
2021
$490
2020
$331
2019
$8,105
2018
$1,278
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$318
Abbott Laboratories
$65
Boston Scientific Corporation
$38
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Stimwave Technologies Incorporated
$6,341
US WorldMeds, LLC
$1,295
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$958
Abbott Laboratories
$929
Boston Scientific Corporation
$739
Medtronic, Inc.
$700
Allergan, Inc.
$207
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$177
PFIZER INC.
$159
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$140
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$107
Nevro Corp.
$100
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$70
Curonix LLC
$63
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$52
Kaleo, Inc.
$47
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$40
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$38
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$36
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$33
Allergan Inc.
$28
Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
$26
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$24
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$23
SI-BONE, Inc.
$21
CeQur Corporation
$20
Lilly USA, LLC
$19
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$17
ASSERTIO THERAPEUTICS, Inc.
$17
Vertiflex, Inc.
$16
Indivior Inc.
$16
Avanos Medical
$15
INSYS Therapeutics Inc
$14
Horizon Pharma plc
$13
Top 3 companies account for 68.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCUGUIDE · AIMOVIG · AUTOFILL · Amitiza · BOTOX · BOTOX COSMETIC · CFNS StimQ Peripheral Nerve StimulatorSystem · CeQur Simplicity · DRG IPGs · EMGALITY · Evzio · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERATOR · General - Pain Management · Gralise · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · INTER FIX RP THREADED FUSION DEVICE · Infinion 16 · LYRICA · Lucemyra/Lofexidine · MONOVISC · Morphabond ER · NALOCET · Nalocet · Nalu Neurostimulation System · OCTRODE · Octrode SCS Leads · PENNSAID · PNS FREEDOM-4A PERMANENT NEUROSTIMULATOR RECEIVER KIT CHANNEL A · PRALUENT · PROCLAIM · PROLATE · Prialt · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · Protege Family of SCS IPGs · RELISTOR · SPECIFY · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SUBLOCADE · SUBSYS · SUPERION · Senza · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · SlimTip lead DRG Lead · StimQ Receiver Stimulator Kit Channel A US w/Receiver · Superion · Superion ISS · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XTAMPZA · Xtampza ER · ZOHYDRO ER · iFuse Implant · mild Device Kit
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
Opticians within 10 mi
1,149
Per 100K population
36.3
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
UCI HEALTH - PLACENTIA LINDA
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 clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 12% 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
Is Dr. Lai experienced with dexamethasone injection (steroid)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lai performed 1,421 dexamethasone injection (steroid) 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 $12,505 from 34 companies across 269 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 opticians in Placentia?
Dr. Lai's average Medicare payment per service is $54. 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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