Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Craig Helm, M.D.
Ophthalmology · Valencia, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
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. Helm 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. Helm
Dr. Craig Helm is an ophthalmology specialist in Valencia, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Helm performed 6,625 Medicare services across 4,152 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Helm received a total of $4,343 from 33 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 153 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. Helm 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 14% volume in CA
$4,343 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗6,625
Medicare services
Top 14% in CA for ophthalmology
4,152
Unique beneficiaries
$88
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~349 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microfluid analysis of tears A laboratory test that analyzes tear fluid using microfluidic technology to measure specific biomarkers. This procedure helps evaluate the composition of tears for diagnostic purposes. |
1,443 | $22 | $120 |
| 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. |
1,238 | $74 | $200 |
| CT scan of cornea A computed tomography scan used to create detailed images of the cornea, the clear front part of the eye. |
1,209 | $31 | $85 |
| 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. |
395 | $456 | $3,500 |
| Comprehensive eye exam, established patient A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a patient who has previously been seen by the provider. |
377 | $101 | $300 |
| Retinal imaging (OCT scan) This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye. |
360 | $31 | $120 |
| Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan) Imaging of the optic nerve. |
312 | $29 | $120 |
| Corneal topography and eye depth measurement This procedure measures the curvature and depth of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. |
254 | $40 | $250 |
| Tear duct plug insertion A procedure to insert a small plug into the tear duct opening to help retain tears on the eye surface. |
222 | $185 | $750 |
| 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. |
147 | $51 | $155 |
| Imaging of front third of eye Imaging of the front third of the eye. |
123 | $24 | $120 |
| Laser removal of recurring cataract A laser procedure to remove a recurring cataract within the lens capsule. |
118 | $281 | $661 |
| Comprehensive eye exam, new patient A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a new patient. |
91 | $105 | $350 |
| Eye photography Photographic imaging of the interior structures of the eye. |
81 | $19 | $250 |
| Laser repair to improve eye fluid flow A laser procedure used to enhance the drainage of fluid within the eye. |
45 | $178 | $1,430 |
| 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. |
43 | $26 | $147 |
| Complex cataract removal with lens implant A surgical procedure to remove a cataract from the eye and insert an artificial lens to restore vision. |
31 | $654 | $4,200 |
| 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. |
28 | $74 | $175 |
| Incision to improve eye fluid flow A surgical procedure involving an incision to enhance the drainage of fluid within the eye. |
26 | $744 | $3,500 |
| Eye deviation and range of motion exam An examination to measure eye deviation and assess the range of motion of the eyes. |
25 | $55 | $150 |
| Prosthetic lens exchange Surgical removal of an existing artificial lens and replacement with a new one. |
16 | $796 | $3,390 |
| Smoking cessation counseling, 4-10 minutes A brief counseling session focused on helping patients quit smoking and tobacco use. The provider spends 4 to 10 minutes discussing strategies and support for cessation. |
15 | $16 | $45 |
| Removal of corneal growth A procedure to remove an abnormal growth from the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. |
14 | $536 | $2,000 |
| Removal of excessive skin and fat of upper eyelid | 12 | $700 | $3,500 |
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.
6.0% high complexity
30.2% medium
63.8% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$4,343
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $620/year across 7 years
Top 27% in CA for ophthalmology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
33
Companies
153
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
$3,864 (89.0%)
Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$479 (11.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$831
2023
$399
2022
$420
2021
$725
2020
$212
2019
$928
2018
$828
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$235
NEW WORLD MEDICAL,INC.
$222
RxSight Inc
$78
Dompe US, Inc.
$70
Harrow Eye, LLC
$68
Alcon Vision LLC
$51
Amgen Inc.
$27
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$25
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$19
Thea Pharma Inc.
$19
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$18
Top 3 companies account for 64.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
$509
Carl Zeiss Meditec USA, Inc.
$479
Alcon Vision LLC
$412
ABBVIE INC.
$397
Shire North American Group Inc
$265
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$250
NEW WORLD MEDICAL,INC.
$222
Dompe US, Inc.
$203
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
$193
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$182
Allergan Inc.
$160
RxSight Inc
$127
Allergan, Inc.
$94
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$85
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$81
Harrow Eye, LLC
$68
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$67
Thea Pharma Inc.
$63
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$63
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$60
Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
$54
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$53
GLAUKOS CORPORATION
$52
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$34
Amgen Inc.
$27
Glaukos Corporation
$20
TissueTech, Inc.
$20
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$19
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$18
BioTissue Holdings, Inc.
$18
Omeros Corporation
$17
CooperVision Inc.
$17
TearLab Corp
$14
Top 3 companies account for 32.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AKREOS AO · AcrySof IQ PanOptix · AcrySof IQ VIVITY · AcrySof IQ VIVITY IOL · Acuvue · BromSite (bromfenac ophthalmic solution) 0.075% · CEQUA · CLARUS 500 · COMBIGAN · Cequa · Clareon · DURYSTA · ENVISTA · IACCESS · INFUSE · IOLMaster 500 · ISTENT TRABECULAR MICRO-BYPASS STENT SYSTEM · IYUZEH · Kahook Dual Blade · LOTEMAX · LOTEMAX SM · LUMIGAN · Luxor · MyDay Contact Lens · OMNI(R) SURGICAL SYSTEM (US) · ORA · OXERVATE · Omidria · PROKERA · Prokera · RESTASIS · RXSIGHT CONTACT LENS · ReSTOR · Rhopressa · Rocklatan · STAR S4 IR Excimer Laser System · TEPEZZA · TYRVAYA · TearLab Osmolarity System · VEVYE · VUITY · VYZULTA · XIIDRA · enVista MX60 IOL · 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 (89%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Ophthalmologists within 10 mi
291
Per 100K population
3.0
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
HENRY MAYO NEWHALL HOSPITAL
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. Helm is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 14% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Helm experienced with microfluid analysis of tears?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Helm performed 1,443 microfluid analysis of tears 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. Helm receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Helm received a total of $4,343 from 33 companies across 153 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. Helm's costs compare to other ophthalmologists in Valencia?
Dr. Helm's average Medicare payment per service is $88. 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. Helm) 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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