https://doctransparency.com/doctor/fl/sarasota/christopher-stelton-1013234624
Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Stelton, MD

Retina Specialist (Ophthalmology) Physician · Sarasota, FL
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
1700 S TUTTLE AVE, Sarasota, FL 34239
9417775000
In practice since 2010 (15 years)
NPI: 1013234624 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. Stelton 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. Stelton? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Stelton

Dr. Christopher Stelton is a retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician in Sarasota, FL, with 15 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Stelton performed 257,099 Medicare services across 6,147 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Stelton received a total of $1,208 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 41 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician. 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. Stelton 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.

✓ 15 years in practice▲ Top 2% volume in FL$ $1,208 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
257,099
Medicare services
Top 2% in FL for retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician
6,147
Unique beneficiaries
$16
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~17,140 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 numbing gel (chloroprocaine)185,600$1$1
Eye injection (Vabysmo/faricimab)54,541$29$40
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)4,825$30$82
Injection, ranibizumab, 0.1 mg2,985$180$400
Eye injection for retinal disease2,294$93$206
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient2,212$87$246
Eye exam, established patient, focused1,601$67$169
Aflibercept eye injection (Eylea)1,460$688$1,000
Injection, pegcetacoplan, intravitreal, 1 mg405$116$160
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient379$101$296
Injection, dexamethasone, intravitreal implant, 0.1 mg189$158$214
Unclassified drugs167$621$1,071
New patient office visit (45-59 min)108$126$331
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)62$86$215
Visual field test, extended59$46$127
Photocoagulation treatment to prevent detachment of retina40$160$995
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)40$65$146
Removal of recurring cataract in lens capsule using a laser39$250$658
Extended exam of the back part of the eye with retinal drawing34$15$50
Repair of detached retina with drainage and removal of eye fluid between lens and retina19$874$5,000
Destruction of eye fluid (vitreous) between lens and retina using a laser16$699$5,000
2d ultrasound scan of eye tissue and structures13$36$183
Extended exam of the back part of the eye with optic nerve drawing11$12$65
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 ↗
$1,208
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $201/year across 6 years
Bottom 24% in FL for retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician
13
Companies
41
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
$1,208 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$174
2023
$348
2022
$136
2021
$70
2019
$214
2018
$266

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Genentech USA, Inc.
$294
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$222
AbbVie Inc.
$174
Allergan Inc.
$156
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$128
ABBVIE INC.
$66
Coherus Biosciences Inc.
$37
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$31
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.
$24
Harrow Eye, LLC
$21
Alimera Sciences, Inc.
$20
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$19
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 57.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ALPHAGAN P · BEOVU · Cequa · Cimerli · DEXTENZA · DURYSTA · EYLEA · EYLEA HD · IHEEZO · ILUVIEN · LUMIGAN · Lucentis · OZURDEX · Syfovre · VABYSMO · Vabysmo · XIPERE
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.

Equivalent to $0 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician in Sarasota?
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Geographic Context

Retina Specialist (Ophthalmology) Physicians within 10 mi
8
Per 100K population
1.8
County median income
$80,633
Nearest hospital
SARASOTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
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. Stelton is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 2% in FL), and low-engagement industry engagement, with 15 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. Stelton experienced with eye numbing gel (chloroprocaine)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Stelton performed 185,600 eye numbing gel (chloroprocaine) 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. Stelton receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Stelton received a total of $1,208 from 13 companies across 41 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. Stelton's costs compare to other retina specialist (ophthalmology) physicians in Sarasota?
Dr. Stelton's average Medicare payment per service is $16. 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. Stelton) 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 →