Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Sara Wester, M.D.

Ophthalmology · Miami, FL
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
900 NW 17TH ST, Miami, FL 33136
3053266000
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1730380445 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. Wester 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. Wester? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Wester

Dr. Sara Wester is an ophthalmology in Miami, FL, with 18 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Wester performed 128 Medicare services across 123 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Wester received a total of $71,026 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 89 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in ophthalmology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Wester 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.

✓ 18 years in practice▲ 128 Medicare services$ $71,026 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
128
Medicare services
Bottom 5% in FL for ophthalmology
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
123
Unique beneficiaries
$99
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~7 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
Photography of content of eyes46$3$13
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)26$52$193
Removal of growth of eyelid16$101$661
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)16$78$299
Removal of excessive skin and fat of upper eyelid12$680$3,112
Exam of visual field with limited testing12$12$60
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 ↗
$71,026
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $10,147/year across 7 years
Top 5% in FL for ophthalmology
14
Companies
89
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$63,508 (89.4%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$6,015 (8.5%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,504 (2.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$6,071
2023
$9,113
2022
$6,503
2021
$11,664
2020
$9,918
2019
$26,623
2018
$1,134

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$63,508
Amgen Inc.
$6,015
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$484
Stryker Corporation
$275
Allergan Inc.
$168
Horizon Pharma plc
$143
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$131
Mallinckrodt LLC
$130
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$39
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$35
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$34
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$26
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$22
Katalyst Surgical, LLC
$15
Top 3 companies account for 98.6% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · Avenova · BOTOX COSMETIC · Cequa · MIDAS REX · NSE - HIGH SPEED DRILLS · PROKERA · StealthStation · TEPEZZA · TEPRO · XDEMVY
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 (89%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in ophthalmology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 5% for ophthalmology in FL.

Equivalent to $55,489 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a ophthalmology in Miami?
Compare ophthalmologys in the Miami area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse ophthalmologys nearby

Geographic Context

Ophthalmologys within 10 mi
327
Per 100K population
12.2
County median income
$68,694
Nearest hospital
JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM
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. Wester is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 5%), with 18 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. Wester experienced with photography of content of eyes?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Wester performed 46 photography of content of eyes 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. Wester receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Wester received a total of $71,026 from 14 companies across 89 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. Wester's costs compare to other ophthalmologys in Miami?
Dr. Wester's average Medicare payment per service is $99. 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. Wester) 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 →