Dr. Charles Richards, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Richards
Dr. Charles Richards is an ophthalmology specialist in Winston Salem, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Richards performed 19,651 Medicare services across 1,807 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Richards received a total of $9,157 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 145 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. Richards 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye injection (Vabysmo/faricimab) An injection of faricimab-svoa, a medication administered in 0.1 mg doses. |
14,160 | $29 | $60 |
| Retinal imaging (OCT scan) This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye. |
1,473 | $28 | $128 |
| Aflibercept eye injection (Eylea) | 1,070 | $690 | $1,308 |
| 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. |
878 | $91 | $183 |
| Eye injection for retinal disease A procedure involving the administration of medication directly into the eye. |
858 | $83 | $345 |
| Pegcetacoplan intravitreal injection, 1 mg An injection of pegcetacoplan administered into the vitreous humor of the eye. The dose specified is 1 milligram. |
450 | $120 | $218 |
| Injection, ranibizumab, 0.1 mg | 301 | $180 | $458 |
| 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. |
131 | $119 | $280 |
| 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. |
123 | $25 | $160 |
| Extended eye exam with retinal drawing A detailed examination of the back of the eye that includes creating a drawing of the retina. |
64 | $16 | $60 |
| Unclassified drug A medication that does not fit into standard HCPCS or CPT classification categories. |
45 | $1,762 | $2,871 |
| Unclassified biologic A biologic product that does not have a specific HCPCS code assigned. |
32 | $2,109 | $3,575 |
| Extended exam of back of eye with optic nerve drawing A detailed examination of the posterior section of the eye, including the optic nerve, with documentation through drawing. |
20 | $11 | $55 |
| Retinal photocoagulation to prevent detachment This procedure uses laser light to create small burns on the retina. It is performed to help prevent the retina from detaching from the back of the eye. |
19 | $168 | $1,682 |
| 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. |
14 | $68 | $134 |
| Retinal membrane and internal limiting membrane removal A surgical procedure to remove a membrane from the retina along with the internal limiting membrane of the retina. |
13 | $804 | $4,624 |
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 (66%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for ophthalmology in NC.
Geographic Context
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. Richards is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 10% of NC 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
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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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