https://doctransparency.com/doctor/fl/lakeland/scott-friedman-1497842314
Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Scott Friedman, M.D.

Ophthalmology · Lakeland, FL
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
2202 LAKELAND HILLS BLVD, Lakeland, FL 33805
8636827474
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1497842314 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. Friedman 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. Friedman? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Friedman

Dr. Scott Friedman is an ophthalmology in Lakeland, FL, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Friedman performed 34,108 Medicare services across 1,857 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Friedman received a total of $21,734 from 32 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 195 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. Friedman is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 19 years in practice▲ Top 4% volume in FL$ $21,734 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
34,108
Medicare services
Top 4% in FL for ophthalmology
1,857
Unique beneficiaries
$38
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~1,795 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Eye injection (Vabysmo/faricimab)29,520$29$68
Injection, ranibizumab, 0.1 mg1,001$181$626
Eye injection for retinal disease841$84$158
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)797$29$65
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient628$87$205
Extended exam of the back part of the eye with retinal drawing482$18$44
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)241$63$98
Exam of retinal blood vessels using a special camera after injection of a dye172$94$172
Retinal photography (fundus photo)161$26$103
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient99$103$174
Measurement of retinal and optic nerve function78$87$124
Unclassified drugs68$362$830
Removal of membrane of retina with removal of internal limiting membrane of retina20$870$1,402
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 ↗
$21,734
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,105/year across 7 years
Top 9% in FL for ophthalmology
32
Companies
195
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
$11,909 (54.8%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$9,807 (45.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$18 (0.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$4,454
2023
$10,931
2022
$2,310
2021
$1,023
2020
$545
2019
$985
2018
$1,486

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Genentech USA, Inc.
$7,168
Amgen Inc.
$3,932
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.
$2,385
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$1,556
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,030
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$776
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$635
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$633
Kowa Research Institute, Inc.
$500
Harrow Eye, LLC
$320
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$305
Alimera Sciences, Inc.
$297
Allergan, Inc.
$260
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$240
Allergan Inc.
$213
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$153
NEW WORLD MEDICAL,INC.
$142
Alcon Vision LLC
$125
AbbVie, Inc.
$125
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$112
ABBVIE INC.
$110
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$107
OPTOVUE, INC.
$101
Ivantis, Inc
$101
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$100
Coherus Biosciences Inc.
$96
Genentech, Inc.
$74
PFIZER INC.
$35
Biogen, Inc.
$33
Halozyme Inc
$29
RxSight Inc
$25
Rayner Intraocular Lenses Limited
$16
Top 3 companies account for 62.0% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Ahmed Glaucoma Valve · BEOVU · CEQUA · CRYSTALENS · Cequa · Cimerli · DURYSTA · EUCRISA · EYLEA · EYLEA AFLIBERCEPT INJECTION · EYLEA HD · HYDRUS Microstent · Humira · Hydrus Microstent · Hylenex · IHEEZO · ILUVIEN · Izervay · LIGHT ADJUSTABLE LENS (LAL) AND LIGHT DELIVERY DEVICE (LDD) · LOTEMAX SM · LUMAKRAS · Lucentis · MIEBO · OCT · OMNI · OZURDEX · Omidria · PROLENSA · STELLARIS · STELLARIS PC · Syfovre · TEPEZZA · VABYSMO · VYZULTA · Vabysmo · XEN · XIPERE · YUTIQ
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 (55%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 9% for ophthalmology in FL.

Equivalent to $64 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a ophthalmology in Lakeland?
Compare ophthalmologys in the Lakeland area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Ophthalmologys within 10 mi
46
Per 100K population
6.0
County median income
$63,644
Nearest hospital
LAKELAND REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/A

This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Friedman is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 4% in FL), and high industry engagement (consulting-driven, top 9%), with 19 years of practice experience.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Friedman experienced with eye injection (vabysmo/faricimab)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Friedman performed 29,520 eye injection (vabysmo/faricimab) 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. Friedman receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Friedman received a total of $21,734 from 32 companies across 195 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. Friedman's costs compare to other ophthalmologys in Lakeland?
Dr. Friedman's average Medicare payment per service is $38. 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. Friedman) 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. The Transparency Score measures 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 →