Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Santiago Villazon, M.D.

Ophthalmology · Wellesley, MA
Practice pattern: Cardiac Surgery — Surgically focused practice
Low-engagement
40 WALNUT ST STE 101, Wellesley, MA 02481
6177963937
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1750484861 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. Villazon 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. Villazon

Dr. Santiago Villazon is an ophthalmology specialist in Wellesley, MA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Villazon performed 1,227 Medicare services across 940 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Villazon received a total of $3,859 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 81 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. Villazon 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ 1,227 Medicare services $3,859 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,227
Medicare services
Bottom 41% in MA for ophthalmology
940
Unique beneficiaries
$205
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~65 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
Cataract surgery with lens implant
Surgical removal of the clouded natural lens of the eye and replacement with an artificial prosthetic lens to restore vision.
395 $436 $1,648
Corneal topography and eye depth measurement
This procedure measures the curvature and depth of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye.
370 $35 $164
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.
143 $103 $395
New patient office visit (45-59 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter.
142 $128 $512
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.
80 $73 $278
Laser removal of recurring cataract
A laser procedure to remove a recurring cataract within the lens capsule.
44 $265 $1,036
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)
This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye.
27 $32 $126
Complex cataract removal with lens implant
A surgical procedure to remove a cataract from the eye and insert an artificial lens to restore vision.
26 $604 $2,253
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.
32.2% high complexity
2.2% medium
65.6% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$3,859
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $551/year across 7 years
Top 20% in MA for ophthalmology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
15
Companies
81
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
$3,859 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$567
2023
$711
2022
$461
2021
$695
2020
$463
2019
$835
2018
$128

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Alcon Vision LLC
$324
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$137
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$40
Glaukos Corporation
$34
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$33
Top 3 companies account for 88.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Alcon Vision LLC
$2,519
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$356
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
$239
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$171
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$141
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$128
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$69
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$52
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$40
Glaukos Corporation
$34
Shire North American Group Inc
$24
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$23
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$21
Eyevance Pharmaceuticals LLC
$21
EYEVANCE PHARMACEUTICALS LLC
$21
Top 3 companies account for 80.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ARGOS · AcrySof · AcrySof IQ PanOptix · AcrySof IQ VIVITY · BromSite · CEQUA · Cequa · Clareon · EYSUVIS · Flarex · LOTEMAX SM · LenSx · MIEBO · ORA · Photrexa · ReSTOR · Rocklatan · Simbrinza · TEPEZZA · TYRVAYA · Tecnis 1-piece IOL · VYZULTA · Wavelight · Wavelight Refractive Suite · XIIDRA · Zerviate · rocklatan
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 ophthalmology specialist in Wellesley?
Compare ophthalmologists in the Wellesley area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse ophthalmologists nearby

Geographic Context

Ophthalmologists within 10 mi
515
Per 100K population
71.1
County median income
$126,497
Nearest hospital
NEWTON-WELLESLEY HOSPITAL
1.8 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. Villazon is a cardiac surgery specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 20% of MA peers, with 19 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. Villazon experienced with cataract surgery with lens implant?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Villazon performed 395 cataract surgery with lens implant 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. Villazon receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Villazon received a total of $3,859 from 15 companies across 81 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. Villazon's costs compare to other ophthalmologists in Wellesley?
Dr. Villazon's average Medicare payment per service is $205. 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. Villazon) 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. 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 →