Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Melvin Chen, MD

Ophthalmology · Sarasota, FL
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
3400 BEE RIDGE RD, Sarasota, FL 34239
9419215335
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1194772574 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. Chen 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. Chen? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Chen

Dr. Melvin Chen is an ophthalmology in Sarasota, FL, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chen performed 5,687 Medicare services across 1,100 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chen received a total of $4,362 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 111 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. Chen 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 22% volume in FL$ $4,362 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
5,687
Medicare services
Top 22% in FL for ophthalmology
1,100
Unique beneficiaries
$73
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~299 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)3,060$29$42
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)838$28$70
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)612$87$155
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient396$86$180
Injection, brolucizumab-dbll, 1 mg384$248$338
Eye injection for retinal disease194$91$250
Aflibercept eye injection (Eylea)144$695$1,000
Eye exam, established patient, focused27$68$120
Retinal photography (fundus photo)18$25$92
New patient office visit (45-59 min)14$95$230
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 ↗
$4,362
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $623/year across 7 years
Top 28% in FL for ophthalmology
23
Companies
111
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
$3,077 (70.5%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$1,285 (29.5%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$586
2023
$631
2022
$761
2021
$247
2020
$134
2019
$1,862
2018
$140

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$1,284
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$488
Genentech USA, Inc.
$487
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$486
ABBVIE INC.
$270
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$269
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$239
AbbVie Inc.
$125
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$122
Amgen Inc.
$112
ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$87
Allergan, Inc.
$71
Allergan Inc.
$56
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$48
Coherus Biosciences Inc.
$35
MERZ NORTH AMERICA, INC.
$32
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$29
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$29
Alimera Sciences, Inc.
$23
UCB, Inc.
$19
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$18
Merz North America, Inc.
$17
Harrow Eye, LLC
$17
Top 3 companies account for 51.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Aimovig · BEOVU · BOTOX · BUPARLISIB · COMBIGAN · Cequa · Cimerli · ENVISTA · EYLEA · EYLEA AFLIBERCEPT INJECTION · EYLEA HD · Empaveli · Iluvien · Lucentis · MIEBO · OZURDEX · PURIFIED CORTROPHIN GEL · QULIPTA · SOLIRIS · Soliris · TEPEZZA · UBRELVY · ULTOMIRIS · UPLIZNA · VABYSMO · VEVYE · VISUDYNE · Vabysmo · XEOMIN · Xeomin · 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 →

Most payments (70%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $77 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a ophthalmology in Sarasota?
Compare ophthalmologys in the Sarasota area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Ophthalmologys within 10 mi
69
Per 100K population
15.4
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. Chen is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 22% in FL), and low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Chen experienced with eye injection (vabysmo/faricimab)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chen performed 3,060 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. Chen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Chen received a total of $4,362 from 23 companies across 111 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. Chen's costs compare to other ophthalmologys in Sarasota?
Dr. Chen's average Medicare payment per service is $73. 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. Chen) 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 →