Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Alison Watson, M.D.

Ophthalmology · Philadelphia, PA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
840 WALNUT ST STE 910, Philadelphia, PA 19107
2159283250
In practice since 2013 (13 years)
NPI: 1063755361 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. Watson 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. Watson

Dr. Alison Watson is an ophthalmology specialist in Philadelphia, PA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Watson performed 4,609 Medicare services across 1,144 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Watson received a total of $6,240 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 46 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in ophthalmology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Watson 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.

✓ 13 years in practice ▲ Top 18% volume in PA $6,240 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
4,609
Medicare services
Top 18% in PA for ophthalmology
1,144
Unique beneficiaries
$41
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~355 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
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.
3,354 $5 $8
Eye photography
Photographic imaging of the interior structures of the eye.
219 $19 $74
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.
206 $71 $127
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.
193 $123 $261
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.
122 $105 $172
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.
69 $83 $176
Chemical nerve block for facial paralysis
Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze specific nerves or muscles on the side of the face.
62 $142 $402
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.
61 $49 $130
Removal of excessive skin and fat of upper eyelid 60 $697 $2,928
Eyelid growth removal
A procedure to remove a growth from the eyelid.
58 $253 $491
Visual field test, limited
A test that measures your side (peripheral) vision. This limited version assesses a restricted portion of your visual field.
47 $28 $83
Insertion of probe into nasal tear duct 43 $162 $600
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
23 $21 $91
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 $321 $2,358
Eyelid drooping or paralysis tissue removal
A surgical procedure to remove tissue, muscle, and membrane to correct eyelid drooping or paralysis.
21 $477 $2,843
Skin graft repair of eyelid, nose, ear, or lip, 10 sq cm or less
A surgical procedure to repair a wound on the eyelid, nose, ear, or lip by transferring a small piece of skin. The transferred skin covers an area of 10 square centimeters or less.
19 $423 $1,673
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.
19 $377 $1,438
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.
12 $331 $2,350
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 ↗
$6,240
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $891/year across 7 years
Top 15% in PA for ophthalmology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
14
Companies
46
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$4,325 (69.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,916 (30.7%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$152
2023
$550
2022
$215
2021
$4,593
2020
$115
2019
$106
2018
$510

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Amgen Inc.
$94
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$58
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$4,741
Genentech USA, Inc.
$255
TissueTech, Inc.
$205
Stryker Corporation
$146
Alcon Vision LLC
$130
Allergan Inc.
$130
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$126
Merz North America, Inc.
$124
Glaukos Corporation
$94
Amgen Inc.
$94
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$75
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$58
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$46
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 83.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Clareon · CyPass · Erivedge · MEDPOR TITAN · OCULOPLASTIC · PROKERA · Prokera · TEPEZZA · XEOMIN · XIPERE · Xeomin · iStent inject W
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 (69%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in ophthalmology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Looking for an ophthalmology specialist in Philadelphia?
Compare ophthalmologists in the Philadelphia area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse ophthalmologists nearby

Geographic Context

Ophthalmologists within 10 mi
531
Per 100K population
33.6
County median income
$60,698
Nearest hospital
THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
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. Watson is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% in PA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 15% of PA peers.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Watson experienced with botox injection, per unit?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Watson performed 3,354 botox injection, per unit 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. Watson receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Watson received a total of $6,240 from 14 companies across 46 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. Watson's costs compare to other ophthalmologists in Philadelphia?
Dr. Watson's average Medicare payment per service is $41. 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. Watson) 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 →