Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Karalekas, O.D.

Optometrist · Lowell, MA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
850 CHELMSFORD ST, Lowell, MA 01851
9784520127
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1043212087 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. Karalekas 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. Karalekas

Dr. Christopher Karalekas is an optometrist in Lowell, MA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Karalekas performed 370 Medicare services across 321 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Karalekas received a total of $1,805 from 17 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 70 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optometrist. 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. Karalekas 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.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ Top 35% volume in MA $1,805 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
370
Medicare services
Top 35% in MA for optometrist
321
Unique beneficiaries
$59
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~18 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
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.
 131 $69 $119
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a patient who has previously been seen by the provider.
 73 $75 $150
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.
 50 $21 $87
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)
A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
 44 $88 $181
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.
 29 $36 $84
Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan)
Imaging of the optic nerve.
 23 $25 $80
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)
This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye.
 20 $36 $92
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 ↗
$1,805
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $258/year across 7 years
Top 15% in MA for optometrist
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
17
Companies
70
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
$1,805 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$465
2023
$229
2022
$137
2021
$255
2020
$202
2019
$233
2018
$284

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
CooperVision Inc.
$117
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$97
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
$89
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$89
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$44
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$29
Top 3 companies account for 65.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$419
CooperVision Inc.
$328
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$234
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
$102
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$97
Shire North American Group Inc
$95
Alcon Vision LLC
$85
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$65
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$65
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$63
TissueTech, Inc.
$49
Allergan, Inc.
$47
ABBVIE INC.
$44
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$44
Glaukos Corporation
$36
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$12
Top 3 companies account for 54.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIR OPTIX · Acuvue · Avenova · BIOTRUE · BIOTRUE ONE DAY · BTOD · Clariti Contact Lens · DAILIES · INFUSE · Izervay · KXL system (not refurbished) · MIEBO · MiSight Contact Lens · Multiple Brands Contact Lens · MyDay Contact Lens · Precision 1 · Prokera · RESTASIS MULTIDOSE · TEARCARE SYSTEM · TOTAL30 · TYRVAYA · TearCare · ULTRA · VUITY · VYZULTA · XDEMVY · XIIDRA
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.

Looking for an optometrist in Lowell?
Compare optometrists in the Lowell area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse optometrists nearby

Geographic Context

Optometrists within 10 mi
859
Per 100K population
52.9
County median income
$126,779
Nearest hospital
LOWELL GENERAL HOSPITAL
1.6 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. Karalekas is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 15% of MA peers, with 20 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. Karalekas experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Karalekas performed 131 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 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. Karalekas receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Karalekas received a total of $1,805 from 17 companies across 70 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. Karalekas's costs compare to other optometrists in Lowell?
Dr. Karalekas's average Medicare payment per service is $59. 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. Karalekas) 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.

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 →