Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Gualtieri, M.D.

Ophthalmology · San Diego, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
3969 4TH AVE, San Diego, CA 92103
6196882648
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1790769156 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Gualtieri 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. Gualtieri

Dr. Christopher Gualtieri is an ophthalmology specialist in San Diego, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Gualtieri performed 598 Medicare services across 475 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Gualtieri received a total of $6,762 from 25 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 120 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in ophthalmology. 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. Gualtieri 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 ▲ 598 Medicare services $6,762 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
598
Medicare services
Bottom 25% in CA for ophthalmology
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
475
Unique beneficiaries
$112
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~30 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 (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.
248 $74 $140
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.
182 $99 $225
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.
51 $120 $325
Cataract surgery with lens implant
Surgical removal of the clouded natural lens of the eye and replacement with an artificial prosthetic lens to restore vision.
37 $446 $1,900
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
30 $49 $70
Ultrasound scan to determine eye length and lens power
An ultrasound procedure used to measure the length of the eye and calculate the power of the lens.
20 $60 $150
Laser removal of recurring cataract
A laser procedure to remove a recurring cataract within the lens capsule.
16 $285 $558
Corneal topography and eye depth measurement
This procedure measures the curvature and depth of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye.
14 $41 $160
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.
6.2% high complexity
3.3% medium
90.5% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$6,762
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $966/year across 7 years
Top 20% in CA for ophthalmology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
25
Companies
120
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
$6,762 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$677
2023
$1,018
2022
$564
2021
$872
2020
$983
2019
$669
2018
$1,980

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$375
Dompe US, Inc.
$161
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$124
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 97.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
$1,997
ABBVIE INC.
$738
Alcon Vision LLC
$706
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$559
Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$443
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$299
Allergan, Inc.
$269
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$249
Dompe US, Inc.
$200
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$191
TissueTech, Inc.
$150
Shire North American Group Inc
$150
Glaukos Corporation
$149
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$125
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$120
GLAUKOS CORPORATION
$102
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$66
Heru, Inc.
$57
Ivantis, Inc
$54
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$45
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$25
Allergan Inc.
$22
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$19
Boston Scientific Corporation
$17
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 50.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTIVEFOCUS · AcrySof · AcrySof IQ VIVITY IOL · Centurion · Clareon · CyPass · DEXYCU · DURYSTA · ENVISTA · HYDRUS Microstent · Heru HMD · Hydrus · IACCESS · INVELTYS · ISTENT INJECT W · LOTEMAX · LOTEMAX SM · LUMIGAN · Luxor · MIEBO · OMNI · OMNI SURGICAL SYSTEM · OXERVATE · OZURDEX · PHOTREXA CROSS-LINKING KIT · PanOptix · Prokera · QUVIVIQ · RESTASIS MULTIDOSE · ReSTOR · Rhopressa · Rocklatan · STAR S4 IR Excimer Laser System · SUPERION · TECNIS IOL · TYRVAYA · Tecnis 1-piece IOL · Tecnis IOL · VNS THERAPY SYMMETRY MODEL 8103 GENERATOR · VUITY · VYZULTA · Wavelight · XEN GLAUCOMA TREATMENT SYSTEM · XIIDRA · iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent System · rhopressa · rocklatan
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.

Looking for an ophthalmology specialist in San Diego?
Compare ophthalmologists in the San Diego area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse ophthalmologists nearby

Geographic Context

Ophthalmologists within 10 mi
282
Per 100K population
8.6
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
UC SAN DIEGO HEALTH HILLCREST - HILLCREST MED CTR
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. Gualtieri is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 20% 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

Is Dr. Gualtieri experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Gualtieri performed 248 office visit, established patient (20-29 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. Gualtieri receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Gualtieri received a total of $6,762 from 25 companies across 120 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. Gualtieri's costs compare to other ophthalmologists in San Diego?
Dr. Gualtieri's average Medicare payment per service is $112. 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. Gualtieri) 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 →
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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →