Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Charles Garcia, MD

Retina Specialist (Ophthalmology) Physician · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
4704 MONTROSE BLVD, Houston, TX 77006
7133330151
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1821093626 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. Garcia 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. Garcia

Dr. Charles Garcia is a retina specialist physician in Houston, TX, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Garcia performed 674 Medicare services across 496 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Garcia received a total of $3,393 from 29 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 103 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician. 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. Garcia 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.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ 674 Medicare services $3,393 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
674
Medicare services
Bottom 22% in TX for retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
496
Unique beneficiaries
$66
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~34 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 imaging (OCT scan) 145 $29 $88
Eye exam, established patient, focused 135 $63 $184
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient 135 $79 $261
Retinal photography (fundus photo) 80 $29 $121
Eye injection for retinal disease 37 $86 $254
Ultrasound scan to determine eye length and lens power 23 $43 $125
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient 23 $99 $310
Injection, bevacizumab, 10 mg 23 $51 $162
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 21 $102 $261
Cataract surgery with lens implant 19 $424 $1,281
Visual field test, extended 18 $42 $131
Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan) 15 $27 $82
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.
2.8% high complexity
36.1% medium
61.1% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$3,393
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $485/year across 7 years
Top 46% in TX for retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician
29
Companies
103
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
$3,193 (94.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$200 (5.9%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$785
2023
$460
2022
$419
2021
$493
2020
$144
2019
$445
2018
$646

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Shire North American Group Inc
$326
Carl Zeiss Meditec USA, Inc.
$258
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
$254
ABBVIE INC.
$248
Allergan, Inc.
$235
Allergan Inc.
$224
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$194
Genentech USA, Inc.
$170
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$168
Alcon Vision LLC
$164
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$149
Alimera Sciences, Inc.
$126
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$125
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$123
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$87
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$87
Glaukos Corporation
$81
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$76
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.
$42
Rayner Intraocular Lenses Limited
$39
Akorn, Inc.
$34
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$33
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$25
Harrow Eye, LLC
$23
Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
Thea Pharma Inc.
$21
RxSight Inc
$21
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$20
Eyevance Pharmaceuticals LLC
$20
Top 3 companies account for 24.7% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · AcrySof IQ VIVITY IOL · CIRRUS HD-OCT · COMBIGAN · DEXTENZA · DURYSTA · EYLEA · EYLEA HD · Flarex · ILUVIEN · INVELTYS · IOLMaster 700 · IYUZEH · Izervay · LUMERA 700 · LUMIGAN · OZURDEX · Omidria · RESTASIS · RESTASIS MULTIDOSE · RXSIGHT CONTACT LENS · Rocklatan · Stellaris · Syfovre · TYRVAYA · Tecnis 1-piece IOL · VABYSMO · VEVYE · VRAYLAR · VUITY · VYZULTA · Vabysmo · XDEMVY · XELPROS · XEN GLAUCOMA TREATMENT SYSTEM · XIIDRA · YUTIQ · Zioptan · iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass System Model iS3 · iStent inject W · rhopressa · rocklatan
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 (94%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $503 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a retina specialist physician in Houston?
Compare retina specialist physicians in the Houston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Retina specialist physicians within 10 mi
19
Per 100K population
0.4
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
ST JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER
1.9 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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Garcia is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 years of NPI registration.

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. Garcia experienced with retinal imaging (oct scan)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Garcia performed 145 retinal imaging (oct scan) 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. Garcia receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Garcia received a total of $3,393 from 29 companies across 103 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. Garcia's costs compare to other retina specialist physicians in Houston?
Dr. Garcia's average Medicare payment per service is $66. 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. Garcia) 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. 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 →