Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Charlene Lam, MD

Dermatology · Hershey, PA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
500 UNIVERSITY DR, Hershey, PA 17033
7175316820
In practice since 2010 (16 years)
NPI: 1316267578 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. Lam 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. Lam

Dr. Charlene Lam is a dermatology specialist in Hershey, PA, with 16 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lam performed 253 Medicare services across 217 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lam received a total of $7,889 from 6 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 20 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in dermatology. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Lam 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 ▲ 253 Medicare services $7,889 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
253
Medicare services
Bottom 11% in PA for dermatology
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
217
Unique beneficiaries
$147
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~16 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
Skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks
This procedure involves the removal of a growth from the head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. The removed tissue is then examined under a microscope in the laboratory.
 78 $226 $1,295
Removal and microscopic exam of growth of head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals, each additional stage, 1-5 tissue blocks 28 $147 $689
Intermediate wound repair, face or mouth, 2.5 cm or less
A medical procedure to close a wound on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth that is 2.5 centimeters or smaller. This type of repair involves more than simple closure but is less complex than a major repair.
 23 $66 $614
Destruction of cancer skin growth, 1.1-2.0 cm
Removal of a cancerous skin growth on the trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 1.1 and 2.0 centimeters.
 23 $60 $399
Intermediate repair of wound of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth, 2.6-5.0 cm 22 $77 $723
Intermediate wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm
A medical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. This type of repair involves cleaning the wound and stitching it closed to promote healing.
 21 $94 $685
Skin biopsy, tangential
A procedure to remove a sample of the first identified skin growth for laboratory examination.
 16 $19 $138
Tissue staining for diagnosis, initial
A laboratory test where special stains are applied to tissue slides to help examine the cells and identify specific characteristics.
 16 $27 $126
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 $41 $245
Full thickness skin graft to nose, ears, eyelids, or lips, 20 sq cm or less
A surgical procedure where a full layer of skin is taken from a donor site and transplanted to the nose, ears, eyelids, or lips. The graft covers an area of 20 square centimeters or less.
 12 $625 $3,062
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 2022 ↗
$7,889
Total received (2018-2022)
Avg $1,578/year across 5 years
Top 20% in PA for dermatology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
6
Companies
20
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$7,210 (91.4%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$679 (8.6%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2022
$779
2021
$3,514
2020
$3,039
2019
$340
2018
$218

Payments by company (2022)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Genentech USA, Inc.
$710
Allergan, Inc.
$69
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2022 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2022) ›
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$6,500
Genentech USA, Inc.
$1,112
GENZYME CORPORATION
$125
Allergan, Inc.
$121
Merz North America, Inc.
$16
Allergan Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 98.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BOTOX · BOTOX COSMETIC · Erivedge · LIBTAYO · XEOMIN
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 →

The majority of payments (91%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.

Looking for a dermatology specialist in Hershey?
Compare dermatologists in the Hershey area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Dermatologists within 10 mi
68
Per 100K population
23.7
County median income
$74,159
Nearest hospital
MILTON S HERSHEY MEDICAL 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 2022
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. Lam is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 20% of PA peers, 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. Lam experienced with skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lam performed 78 skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks 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. Lam receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lam received a total of $7,889 from 6 companies across 20 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. Lam's costs compare to other dermatologists in Hershey?
Dr. Lam's average Medicare payment per service is $147. 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. Lam) 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 →