Dr. John Carlson, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Carlson
Dr. John Carlson is an ophthalmology specialist in Riverside, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Carlson performed 18,564 Medicare services across 2,442 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Carlson received a total of $12,758 from 28 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 111 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in ophthalmology. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Carlson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye injection (Vabysmo/faricimab) An injection of faricimab-svoa, a medication administered in 0.1 mg doses. |
11,280 | $29 | $62 |
| Retinal imaging (OCT scan) This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye. |
1,437 | $33 | $84 |
| Eye injection for retinal disease A procedure involving the administration of medication directly into the eye. |
981 | $100 | $363 |
| Injection, ranibizumab, 0.1 mg | 892 | $183 | $420 |
| 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. |
698 | $95 | $225 |
| Pegcetacoplan intravitreal injection, 1 mg An injection of pegcetacoplan administered into the vitreous humor of the eye. The dose specified is 1 milligram. |
600 | $120 | $774 |
| Aflibercept eye injection (Eylea) | 534 | $688 | $1,103 |
| Ranibizumab-eqrn injection, 0.1 mg An injection of the biosimilar medication ranibizumab-eqrn (Cimerli) in a 0.1 mg dose. |
468 | $215 | $710 |
| Retinal photography (fundus photo) This procedure involves taking photographs of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. It is used to document the condition of the eye's interior structures. |
317 | $30 | $107 |
| Extended exam of back of eye with optic nerve drawing A detailed examination of the posterior section of the eye, including the optic nerve, with documentation through drawing. |
236 | $12 | $48 |
| 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. |
235 | $70 | $157 |
| Ranibizumab-nuna biosimilar injection, 0.1 mg An injection of the biosimilar medication ranibizumab-nuna (Byooviz) at a dose of 0.1 mg. |
190 | $172 | $660 |
| Extended eye exam with retinal drawing A detailed examination of the back of the eye that includes creating a drawing of the retina. |
143 | $19 | $58 |
| Bevacizumab injection, 10 mg Administration of a 10 mg dose of bevacizumab medication via injection. |
133 | $55 | $185 |
| Retinal angiography with dye injection This procedure uses a special camera to examine the blood vessels in the retina after a dye has been injected into the body. |
94 | $116 | $280 |
| Compounded drug, not otherwise classified A medication prepared specifically for an individual patient by a pharmacist or physician, tailored to meet unique needs that cannot be fulfilled by commercially available products. |
93 | $70 | $242 |
| 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. |
72 | $115 | $300 |
| Ultrasound of eye tissue and structures A diagnostic imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the eye's internal tissues and structures. |
71 | $39 | $166 |
| Unclassified drug A medication that does not fit into standard HCPCS or CPT classification categories. |
54 | $1,773 | $3,668 |
| Eye exam, established patient, focused A limited examination of the visual system for an existing patient. The provider focuses on a specific eye-related concern or symptom. |
36 | $70 | $163 |
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 (51%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Geographic Context
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. Carlson is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in CA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 13% of CA peers, 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
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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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