Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Pamela Carter, M.D.

Ophthalmology · Athens, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
1240 S PALESTINE ST, Athens, TX 75751
9035758111
In practice since 2012 (13 years)
NPI: 1942569421 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. Carter 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. Carter? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Carter

Dr. Pamela Carter is an ophthalmology in Athens, TX, with 13 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Carter performed 1,589 Medicare services across 1,203 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Carter received a total of $1,016 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 38 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. Carter is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 13 years in practice▲ 1,589 Medicare services$ $1,016 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,589
Medicare services
Bottom 46% in TX for ophthalmology
1,203
Unique beneficiaries
$88
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~122 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient245$86$296
Corneal topography and eye depth measurement229$19$160
Eye exam, established patient, focused198$66$190
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)184$28$110
Cataract surgery with lens implant152$412$3,000
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient132$90$325
Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan)86$24$110
Visual field test, extended75$47$180
Ultrasound scan of cornea to determine thickness60$8$50
New patient office visit (45-59 min)39$90$285
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)33$94$225
Ultrasound scan to determine eye length and lens power32$21$205
Exam of the internal drainage system of eye30$20$80
Retinal photography (fundus photo)30$23$130
Removal of recurring cataract in lens capsule using a laser21$230$945
New patient office visit (30-44 min)16$67$200
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)14$62$145
Extended exam of the back part of the eye with retinal drawing13$19$155
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.
9.6% high complexity
22.8% medium
67.7% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$1,016
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $169/year across 6 years
Bottom 37% in TX for ophthalmology
14
Companies
38
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
$1,016 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$150
2023
$284
2022
$387
2020
$32
2019
$106
2018
$57

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
RxSight Inc
$246
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$150
Alcon Vision LLC
$113
AbbVie Inc.
$110
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$95
ABBVIE INC.
$68
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$53
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
$49
Abbott Laboratories
$41
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$27
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
$19
Allergan Inc.
$19
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$14
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$13
Top 3 companies account for 50.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AcrySof · BESIVANCE · Clareon · DEXYCU · DURYSTA · LIGHT ADJUSTABLE LENS (LAL) AND LIGHT DELIVERY DEVICE (LDD) · LUMIGAN · Mitra Clip system · None Specified · One Series Ultra IOL Delivery System · PanOptix · TYRVAYA · Tecnis Multifocal Family of 1-piece IOLS · VYZULTA · XIIDRA
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $64 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a ophthalmology in Athens?
Compare ophthalmologys in the Athens area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse ophthalmologys nearby

Geographic Context

Ophthalmologys within 10 mi
3
Per 100K population
3.6
County median income
$63,955
Nearest hospital
UT HEALTH EAST TEXAS ATHENS HOSPITAL
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/A

This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Carter is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and low-engagement industry engagement.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Carter experienced with comprehensive eye exam, established patient?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Carter performed 245 comprehensive eye exam, established patient 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. Carter receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Carter received a total of $1,016 from 14 companies across 38 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. Carter's costs compare to other ophthalmologys in Athens?
Dr. Carter's average Medicare payment per service is $88. 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. Carter) 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. The Transparency Score measures 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 →