Dr. Alan Oester, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Oester
Dr. Alan Oester is an ophthalmology specialist in Wilmington, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Oester performed 12,831 Medicare services across 1,461 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Oester received a total of $1,956 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 62 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. Oester 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botox injection, per unit An injection of onabotulinumtoxinA, a medication used to temporarily relax muscles or reduce gland activity. The dose is measured in units, with this code representing a single unit administered. |
11,152 | $5 | $13 |
| 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. |
314 | $61 | $150 |
| 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. |
255 | $86 | $210 |
| 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. |
252 | $109 | $320 |
| Removal of excessive skin and fat of upper eyelid | 171 | $585 | $3,367 |
| Upper eyelid tendon repair Surgical repair of the tendon in the upper eyelid to restore its function and structure. |
144 | $635 | $3,375 |
| Chemical nerve block for facial paralysis Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze specific nerves or muscles on the side of the face. |
134 | $133 | $864 |
| Visual field test, limited A test that measures your side (peripheral) vision. This limited version assesses a restricted portion of your visual field. |
101 | $24 | $83 |
| Eye photography Photographic imaging of the interior structures of the eye. |
96 | $17 | $85 |
| Insertion of probe into nasal tear duct | 50 | $147 | $477 |
| Extensive repair of turning-outward eyelid defect A surgical procedure to correct an eyelid that turns outward. The repair addresses defects in the eyelid structure to restore normal function and appearance. |
44 | $367 | $2,792 |
| Brow paralysis repair Surgical procedure to correct paralysis of the eyebrow muscles. This intervention aims to restore position and function to the affected area. |
21 | $246 | $3,603 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
20 | $78 | $170 |
| Tear duct plug insertion A procedure to insert a small plug into the tear duct opening to help retain tears on the eye surface. |
19 | $143 | $486 |
| Eyelid biopsy A procedure to remove a small sample of tissue from the eyelid for laboratory examination. |
15 | $137 | $411 |
| Eyelash removal with forceps This procedure involves the manual removal of eyelashes using forceps. It is a mechanical extraction method performed on the eyelid area. |
15 | $14 | $159 |
| Extensive repair of turning-inward eyelid defect A surgical procedure to correct an eyelid that turns inward. The repair addresses defects in the eyelid structure to restore normal function and appearance. |
15 | $312 | $2,500 |
| Snip incision of tear duct at inner corner of eye A minor surgical procedure involving a small incision in the tear duct located at the inner corner of the eye. |
13 | $55 | $700 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
7.1 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. Oester is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 8% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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
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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.
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