Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Crystal Hefner, O.D.

Optometrist · Newton, NC
Practice pattern: Cardiac Surgery — Surgically focused practice
Low-engagement
110 E A ST, Newton, NC 28658
8284644136
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1154311389 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. Hefner 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. Hefner? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Hefner

Dr. Crystal Hefner is an optometrist in Newton, NC, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hefner performed 4,343 Medicare services across 384 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hefner received a total of $951 from 11 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 24 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. Hefner 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 6% volume in NC $951 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
4,343
Medicare services
Top 6% in NC for optometrist
384
Unique beneficiaries
$6
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~217 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.
 3,960 $1 $2
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a patient who has previously been seen by the provider.
 205 $72 $123
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.
 106 $23 $75
Eye exam, established patient, focused
A limited examination of the visual system for an existing patient. The provider focuses on a specific eye-related concern or symptom.
 42 $57 $87
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)
This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye.
 19 $26 $50
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a new patient.
 11 $71 $147
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.
91.2% high complexity
0.4% medium
8.4% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$951
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $158/year across 6 years
Bottom 49% in NC for optometrist
11
Companies
24
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
$951 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$138
2023
$172
2022
$128
2020
$67
2019
$218
2018
$229

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
CooperVision Inc.
$56
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$48
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
$33
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
$247
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$154
CooperVision Inc.
$125
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$84
Shire North American Group Inc
$78
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$63
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$57
NEW WORLD MEDICAL,INC.
$45
OPTOS, INC.
$45
Alcon Vision LLC
$36
MacuLogix, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 55.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Acuvue · AdaptDx · Ahmed Glaucoma Valve · BIOFIX · BTOD · CEQUA · Cequa · INFUSE · MyDay Contact Lens · P200DTx · PanOptix · 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 Newton?
Compare optometrists in the Newton area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse optometrists nearby

Geographic Context

Optometrists within 10 mi
69
Per 100K population
42.6
County median income
$64,544
Nearest hospital
CATAWBA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER
8.6 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. Hefner is a cardiac surgery specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Hefner experienced with cataract surgery with lens implant?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hefner performed 3,960 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. Hefner receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hefner received a total of $951 from 11 companies across 24 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. Hefner's costs compare to other optometrists in Newton?
Dr. Hefner's average Medicare payment per service is $6. 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. Hefner) 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 →