Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Carol Shields, MD
Retina Specialist (Ophthalmology) Physician · Philadelphia, PA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
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. Shields 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. Shields
Dr. Carol Shields is a retina specialist physician in Philadelphia, PA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Shields performed 6,295 Medicare services across 5,684 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Shields received a total of $26,655 from 6 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 8 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician. 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. Shields 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 50% volume in PA
$26,655 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗6,295
Medicare services
Top 50% in PA for retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician
5,684
Unique beneficiaries
$77
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~331 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
1,198 | $30 | $500 |
| Retinal imaging (OCT scan) This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye. |
1,179 | $31 | $396 |
| Ultrasound of eye tissue and structures A non-invasive imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the eye's internal tissues and structures. |
902 | $53 | $518 |
| Eye photography Photographic imaging of the interior structures of the eye. |
350 | $17 | $300 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
323 | $137 | $600 |
| 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. |
259 | $50 | $398 |
| 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. |
241 | $83 | $340 |
| Imaging of front third of eye Imaging of the front third of the eye. |
217 | $23 | $580 |
| Eye ultrasound for foreign body localization An ultrasound scan of the eye used to locate any foreign objects within the eye. |
160 | $71 | $500 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 143 | $176 | $772 |
| 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. |
133 | $35 | $243 |
| Ultrasound of eye using water bath method An ultrasound imaging test of the eye that uses a water bath technique to visualize internal eye structures. |
125 | $59 | $523 |
| 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. |
118 | $107 | $602 |
| 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. |
107 | $69 | $297 |
| 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. |
91 | $89 | $480 |
| Eyelid lining repair with graft from external eye This procedure repairs the inner lining of the eyelid using tissue grafted from another part of the eye. |
82 | $224 | $6,600 |
| Cornea or sclera laceration repair using tissue glue This procedure repairs a tear in the clear front surface of the eye (cornea) or the white outer layer (sclera) by sealing the wound with medical adhesive instead of stitches. |
80 | $208 | $6,229 |
| Temporary closure of eyelids by suture | 67 | $40 | $4,000 |
| Eye drainage system examination An examination of the internal drainage system of the eye to assess how fluid flows and drains from the eye. |
65 | $22 | $475 |
| Retinal growth destruction via radiation implant A procedure that destroys abnormal retinal growth by implanting a radiation source. |
61 | $1,126 | $18,671 |
| Fluorescein angiography of retina A special camera captures images of the blood vessels in the retina and the area between the white part of the eye and the retina after a dye is injected. |
61 | $218 | $1,950 |
| Retinal laser destruction of growth A laser procedure used to destroy abnormal growths in the retina. |
50 | $399 | $6,475 |
| Radiation treatment planning, 1 area This procedure involves gathering the necessary data to design the most effective radiation therapy plan for a single treatment area. |
34 | $208 | $800 |
| Removal of eye fluid | 26 | $35 | $2,375 |
| Eye injection for retinal disease A procedure involving the administration of medication directly into the eye. |
24 | $37 | $965 |
| Extensive removal of facial or scalp growth, less than 2.0 cm This procedure involves the extensive removal of a growth located on the face or scalp. The size of the removed growth is less than 2.0 centimeters. |
21 | $518 | $12,882 |
| Fine needle aspiration of orbital contents A procedure using a thin needle to remove fluid or tissue samples from the area behind the eye for examination. |
21 | $42 | $4,081 |
| Tear duct surgery with tube insertion A surgical procedure to create a new drainage pathway for tears from the eye into the nasal cavity. A tube or stent is inserted to keep the new passage open. |
20 | $364 | $12,150 |
| Vertical eye muscle realignment A surgical procedure to adjust the position or tension of the muscles that control vertical eye movement. |
17 | $187 | $7,925 |
| New patient office visit, 15-29 minutes An initial office visit for a new patient lasting 15 to 29 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter meets this duration threshold. |
16 | $60 | $480 |
| Destruction of corneal growth A procedure to remove or destroy abnormal tissue growth on the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. |
15 | $133 | $4,750 |
| Removal of scleral growth A surgical procedure to remove an abnormal growth from the sclera, the white outer layer of the eye. |
15 | $232 | $8,200 |
| Enucleation with implant insertion Surgical removal of the eyeball followed by the placement of an implant attached to the eye muscles. |
14 | $272 | $13,625 |
| Exploration of cavity behind eye A surgical procedure to examine the space located behind the eyeball. |
14 | $708 | $16,975 |
| Release of extensive eye scar tissue A procedure to remove or break up significant scar tissue within the eye. |
12 | $260 | $7,500 |
| Injection into eye membrane A procedure involving the injection of a drug or substance into the membrane that covers the eyeball. |
12 | $19 | $1,446 |
| Removal of corneal growth A procedure to remove an abnormal growth from the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. |
11 | $248 | $7,275 |
| Relocation of conjunctival flap A surgical procedure to reposition a flap of conjunctival tissue to a new location on the eye. |
11 | $279 | $7,000 |
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.
0.3% high complexity
43.1% medium
56.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$26,655
Total received (2020-2024)
Avg $6,664/year across 4 years
Top 20% in PA for retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
6
Companies
8
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
$22,000 (82.5%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$4,616 (17.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$38 (0.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,122
2023
$4,616
2021
$13,150
2020
$7,766
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$1,100
Alcon Vision LLC
$22
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2020-2024) ›
Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
$20,150
Glaukos Corporation
$4,616
ABBVIE INC.
$1,100
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$750
Alcon Vision LLC
$22
Allergan, Inc.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 97.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BOTOX · CLARUS · CLARUS 700 · DEXYCU · NGENUITY · OZURDEX
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 (82%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Geographic Context
Retina specialist physicians within 10 mi
14
Per 100K population
0.9
County median income
$60,698
Nearest hospital
THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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. Shields is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 20% of PA 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
Is Dr. Shields experienced with retinal photography (fundus photo)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Shields performed 1,198 retinal photography (fundus photo) 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. Shields receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Shields received a total of $26,655 from 6 companies across 8 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. Shields's costs compare to other retina specialist physicians in Philadelphia?
Dr. Shields's average Medicare payment per service is $77. 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. Shields) 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.
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