Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Otis Walton, MD

Ophthalmology · Bellaire, TX
Practice pattern: Cardiac Surgery— Surgically focused practice
Speaking/Promotional
6800 WEST LOOP SOUTH, Bellaire, TX 77401
2819448020
In practice since 2011 (14 years)
NPI: 1942591839 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. Walton 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. Walton? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Walton

Dr. Otis Walton is an ophthalmology in Bellaire, TX, with 14 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Walton performed 347 Medicare services across 261 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Walton received a total of $323,007 from 33 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 353 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. Walton 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.

✓ 14 years in practice▲ 347 Medicare services$ $323,007 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
347
Medicare services
Bottom 14% in TX for ophthalmology
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
261
Unique beneficiaries
$172
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~25 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
Cataract surgery with lens implant117$366$3,077
Eye exam, established patient, focused69$61$160
Removal of recurring cataract in lens capsule using a laser37$229$900
Corneal topography and eye depth measurement36$16$225
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient26$85$300
Ultrasound scan of cornea to determine thickness20$8$50
Imaging of front third of eye using a special microscope19$27$250
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)12$30$80
Visual field test, extended11$42$200
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.
33.7% high complexity
14.7% medium
51.6% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$323,007
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $46,144/year across 7 years
Top 1% in TX for ophthalmology
33
Companies
353
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
$174,448 (54.0%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$144,756 (44.8%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$3,802 (1.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$118,762
2023
$61,815
2022
$69,946
2021
$49,374
2020
$8,199
2019
$6,460
2018
$8,452

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Alcon Vision LLC
$138,926
RxSight Inc
$110,994
LENSAR, Inc.
$28,095
Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
$22,894
Alcon Research LLC
$13,695
Omeros Corporation
$1,602
Glaukos Corporation
$1,510
Allergan, Inc.
$1,232
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$706
Beaver-Visitec International, Inc.
$551
Carl Zeiss Meditec USA, Inc.
$410
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$367
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$275
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
$246
Shire North American Group Inc
$183
TissueTech, Inc.
$177
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$154
Eyevance Pharmaceuticals LLC
$144
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
$101
ABBVIE INC.
$93
TISSUETECH, INC.
$89
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$85
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$76
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$62
Dompe US, Inc.
$61
BioTissue Holdings, Inc.
$57
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$55
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$50
AbbVie Inc.
$25
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$24
Thea Pharma Inc.
$24
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$23
GLAUKOS CORPORATION
$21
Top 3 companies account for 86.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTIVEFOCUS · ARGOS · ARTEVO 800 · AcrySof IQ PanOptix · AcrySof IQ PanOptix UV IOL · AcrySof IQ VIVITY · AcrySof IQ VIVITY IOL · Acuvue · BROMSITE · BromSite (bromfenac ophthalmic solution) 0.075% · CE-marked KXLA system · CEQUA · CIRRUS 5000 · CT Lucia · Cequa · Clareon · DEXYCU · DURYSTA · Discovisc · ENVISTA TORIC · Flarex · IOLMaster · IOLMaster 500 · IOLMaster 700 · KXL SYSTEM · KXL System · KXL system (not refurbished) · LENSAR LASER SYSTEM · LOTEMAX SM · LUMERA 700 · LenSx · Luxor · NGENUITY · OMNI SURGICAL SYSTEM · OPMI Lumera · OXERVATE · Omidria · PHOTREXA CROSS-LINKING KIT · PROKERA · PROLENSA · Photrexa · Precision 1 · Prokera · RESTASIS MULTIDOSE · RXSIGHT CONTACT LENS · ReSTOR · STELLARIS PC · TYRVAYA · Tecnis 1-piece IOL · VERITAS Vision System · VUITY · VYZULTA · Visante OCT · VisuMax · WaveLight EX500 Excimer Laser · Wavelight · Wavelight Refractive Suite · XELPROS · XIIDRA · enVista MX60 IOL
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 (54%) 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. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for ophthalmology in TX.

Equivalent to $93,086 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a ophthalmology in Bellaire?
Compare ophthalmologys in the Bellaire area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Ophthalmologys within 10 mi
292
Per 100K population
6.1
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
BEHAVIORAL HOSPITAL OF BELLAIRE
1.2 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. Walton is a cardiac surgery specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 1%).

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. Walton experienced with cataract surgery with lens implant?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Walton performed 117 cataract surgery with lens implant 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. Walton receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Walton received a total of $323,007 from 33 companies across 353 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. Walton's costs compare to other ophthalmologys in Bellaire?
Dr. Walton's average Medicare payment per service is $172. 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. Walton) 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 →