Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Nicole Lynch, O.D.

Optometrist · Wilmington, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1994 S 17TH ST, Wilmington, NC 28401
9102549292
In practice since 2009 (16 years)
NPI: 1972837805 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. Lynch 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. Lynch? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Lynch

Dr. Nicole Lynch is an optometrist in Wilmington, NC, with 16 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lynch performed 498 Medicare services across 413 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lynch received a total of $1,918 from 26 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 102 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. Lynch 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.

✓ 16 years in practice ▲ Top 43% volume in NC $1,918 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
498
Medicare services
Top 43% in NC for optometrist
413
Unique beneficiaries
$63
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~31 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.
215 $58 $145
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.
81 $85 $202
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)
This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye.
41 $29 $75
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a patient who has previously been seen by the provider.
37 $87 $155
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.
31 $108 $265
Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan)
Imaging of the optic nerve.
25 $26 $75
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a new patient.
22 $74 $170
Ultrasound scan of cornea to determine thickness
An ultrasound procedure used to measure the thickness of the cornea.
18 $8 $125
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.
16 $68 $175
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.
12 $43 $100
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 ↗
$1,918
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $274/year across 7 years
Top 32% in NC for optometrist
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
26
Companies
102
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
$1,823 (95.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$94 (4.9%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$258
2023
$112
2022
$401
2021
$544
2020
$254
2019
$157
2018
$192

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$70
Amgen Inc.
$64
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$40
Dompe US, Inc.
$25
Alcon Vision LLC
$21
Rayner Intraocular Lenses Limited
$21
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 67.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$328
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$172
Alcon Vision LLC
$160
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$149
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$105
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$104
Notal Vision, Inc.
$94
Allergan, Inc.
$94
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$91
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$70
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$65
Amgen Inc.
$64
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$62
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$58
Dompe US, Inc.
$49
Shire North American Group Inc
$47
TissueTech, Inc.
$38
Allergan Inc.
$29
Rayner Intraocular Lenses Limited
$21
Eyevance Pharmaceuticals LLC
$20
Omeros Corporation
$20
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$17
BioTissue Holdings, Inc.
$15
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$15
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 34.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · AcrySof IQ VIVITY · Avenova · BESIVANCE · BROMSITE · CEQUA · Cequa · DAILIES · DEXTENZA · DURYSTA · Flarex · ILUX · INFUSE · LOTEMAX SM · LUMIGAN · MIEBO · OXERVATE · Omidria · Oxervate · PAZEO · PROKERA · PROLENSA · Prokera · RAYNER CATARACT SET 1 · RESTASIS MULTIDOSE · Rhopressa · Rocklatan · Simbrinza · TEPEZZA · TYRVAYA · VUITY · VYZULTA · XDEMVY · XIIDRA · 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 (95%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

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

Geographic Context

Optometrists within 10 mi
77
Per 100K population
33.3
County median income
$72,892
Nearest hospital
WILMINGTON TREATMENT CENTER
0.0 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. Lynch is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 16 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. Lynch experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lynch performed 215 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. Lynch receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lynch received a total of $1,918 from 26 companies across 102 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. Lynch's costs compare to other optometrists in Wilmington?
Dr. Lynch's average Medicare payment per service is $63. 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. Lynch) 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 →