Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Alexander Lam
Vascular & Interventional Radiology Physician · San Francisco, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
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. Lam 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 →
Are you Dr. Lam?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Lam
Dr. Alexander Lam is a vascular & interventional radiology physician in San Francisco, CA, with 14 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lam performed 628 Medicare services across 538 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lam received a total of $4,001 from 18 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 51 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in vascular & interventional radiology physician. 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. Lam 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.
✓ 14 years in practice
▲ 628 Medicare services
$4,001 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗628
Medicare services
Bottom 48% in CA for vascular & interventional radiology physician
538
Unique beneficiaries
$62
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
125 | $11 | $264 |
| Ultrasound guidance for blood vessel access Use of ultrasound imaging to help locate and access a blood vessel. This guidance assists healthcare providers in performing procedures such as inserting IV lines or drawing blood. |
68 | $12 | $79 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for central vein access device Use of live X-ray imaging to guide the placement or removal of a central vein access device. |
57 | $16 | $100 |
| Abdominal fluid drainage with imaging guidance Removal of fluid from the abdominal cavity using imaging technology to guide the procedure. |
48 | $91 | $2,100 |
| Radiologist review of stomach or bowel tube placement A radiologist reviews medical images to confirm the correct placement of a tube in the stomach or large bowel. |
40 | $33 | $205 |
| Abdominal drainage tube exchange with imaging guidance A procedure to replace a drainage tube in the abdominal cavity. The exchange is performed while using imaging technology to guide the physician. |
34 | $52 | $3,837 |
| Kidney drainage tube replacement with imaging guidance A radiologist replaces a kidney drainage tube while using imaging guidance to ensure proper placement and reviews the procedure. |
25 | $106 | $3,359 |
| Radiologist review of CT-guided needle placement A radiologist reviews the CT imaging used to guide the placement of a needle. |
20 | $59 | $887 |
| Central venous port insertion A surgical procedure to place a small reservoir under the skin for long-term access to the bloodstream. The device is connected to a vein to allow for repeated medication administration or blood draws. |
19 | $293 | $7,590 |
| Infusion tube insertion with imaging guidance A radiologist inserts an infusion tube into the body while using imaging guidance to ensure proper placement and reviews the procedure. |
19 | $73 | $2,590 |
| Chest fluid aspiration with imaging guidance This procedure involves removing fluid from the chest cavity using imaging technology to guide the needle placement. |
16 | $96 | $4,239 |
| Arterial catheter insertion, initial third order branch Insertion of a tube into an abdominal, pelvic, or leg artery, specifically targeting the initial third order branch. |
16 | $136 | $11,420 |
| 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. |
16 | $52 | $393 |
| Insertion of tunneled central venous catheter for infusion, age 5+ A surgical procedure to place a long-term catheter into a large vein for delivering medications or fluids. The catheter is tunneled under the skin to reduce infection risk and provide stable access for patients aged 5 and older. |
14 | $230 | $4,729 |
| Vena cava filter insertion with radiologist review A procedure to place a filter in the vena cava to prevent blood clots from traveling to the lungs, including review by a radiologist. |
14 | $187 | $16,466 |
| Contrast injection through abdominal tube for X-ray A contrast dye is injected into the abdomen through a tube to enhance visibility during an X-ray study. |
14 | $27 | $1,171 |
| Radiologist review of abscess or sinus study A radiologist reviews the images from a study of an abscess or sinus cavity. |
14 | $22 | $142 |
| Removal of central venous port or pump A procedure to remove a central venous access device, such as a port or pump, from the body. |
13 | $170 | $1,587 |
| 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. |
12 | $67 | $575 |
| Chest fluid drainage with tube insertion using imaging guidance This procedure removes fluid from the chest cavity and places a tube to stay in place for ongoing drainage. Imaging guidance is used to help position the tube accurately. |
11 | $124 | $4,439 |
| Insertion of non-tunneled central venous catheter A procedure to place a central venous catheter for infusion in patients aged 5 years or older. The catheter is inserted directly into a large vein without being tunneled under the skin. |
11 | $72 | $1,316 |
| Needle biopsy of abdominal cavity growth A needle is inserted into a growth within the abdominal cavity to remove a small tissue sample for laboratory analysis. |
11 | $60 | $1,489 |
| CT scan of abdominal and pelvic blood vessels with contrast A computed tomography scan that uses contrast dye to visualize the blood vessels in the abdomen and pelvis. |
11 | $77 | $2,361 |
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.
13.5% high complexity
33.9% medium
52.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$4,001
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $667/year across 6 years
Top 40% in CA for vascular & interventional radiology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
18
Companies
51
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.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$2,170 (54.2%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,832 (45.8%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$581
2023
$802
2022
$1,877
2020
$304
2019
$413
2018
$24
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$236
Inari Medical, Inc.
$111
Stryker Corporation
$58
Terumo Medical Corporation
$50
Penumbra, Inc.
$35
Carl Zeiss Meditec USA, Inc.
$32
Sirtex Medical Inc
$28
Medtronic, Inc.
$16
Ethicon US, LLC
$14
Top 3 companies account for 69.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Abbott Laboratories
$1,800
Boston Scientific Corporation
$799
Terumo Medical Corporation
$420
Inari Medical, Inc.
$286
BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
$149
Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
$120
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$65
Penumbra, Inc.
$59
Stryker Corporation
$58
CARDIVA MEDICAL, INC.
$55
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$35
Carl Zeiss Meditec USA, Inc.
$32
Sirtex Medical Inc
$28
MicroVention, Inc.
$24
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$23
Cook Medical LLC
$18
Medtronic, Inc.
$16
Ethicon US, LLC
$14
Top 3 companies account for 75.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AZUR CX DETACHABLE · CARDIVA VASCADE 6/7F VCS · COOK · ELUVIA · EMBOLD Fibered · EXTARO 300 · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · FlowTriever · GENERAL THROMBECTOMY · GLIDESHEATH SLENDER · General - IO Ablation · IN.PACT Admiral · Indigo System · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · MITRACLIP · NANOKNIFE · Neuwave · RUBY Coil · S · SIR-Spheres Microspheres · SPINEJACK · TheraSphere Y90 Glass Microspheres 10 GBq · Traxcess Guidewire and Docking Wire · VENASEAL · VENOVO
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 →
The majority of payments (54%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
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. Lam is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Lam experienced with sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lam performed 125 sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes 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. Lam receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lam received a total of $4,001 from 18 companies across 51 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. Lam's costs compare to other vascular & interventional radiology physicians in San Francisco?
Dr. Lam's average Medicare payment per service is $62. 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. Lam) 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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