https://doctransparency.com/doctor/tx/houston/james-lai-1699760447
Medicare Enrolled

Dr. James Lai, MD

Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Specialist Physician Physician · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
2855 GRAMERCY ST, Houston, TX 77025
7136686828
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1699760447 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. Lai 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. Lai? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Lai

Dr. James Lai is a pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus specialist physician physician in Houston, TX, with 20 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lai performed 37 Medicare services across 36 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lai received a total of $1,514 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 34 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus specialist physician 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. Lai 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▲ 37 Medicare services$ $1,514 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
37
Medicare services
Bottom 25% in TX for pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus specialist physician physician
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
36
Unique beneficiaries
$58
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~2 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 patient22$70$379
Exam to measure eye deviation and range of motion15$40$373
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 ↗
$1,514
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $303/year across 5 years
Top 17% in TX for pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus specialist physician physician
13
Companies
34
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
$1,514 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$571
2021
$46
2020
$20
2019
$493
2018
$384

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$334
Kaleo, Inc.
$197
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$135
Amgen Inc.
$125
PIRAMAL CRITICAL CARE
$124
Allergan Inc.
$117
PFIZER INC.
$112
Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
$110
Biogen, Inc.
$100
Merz North America, Inc.
$95
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$24
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$21
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$20
Top 3 companies account for 44.0% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AJOVY · Aimovig · Austedo XR · BEPREVE · BOTOX · EVZIO · Evzio · GABLOFEN · INGREZZA · LYRICA · SPINRAZA · TEPEZZA · UZEDY · XEOMIN · Xeomin · ZOHYDRO ER
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 $4,091 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus specialist physician physician in Houston?
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Geographic Context

Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Specialist Physician Physicians within 10 mi
11
Per 100K population
0.2
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
WOMANS HOSPITAL OF TEXAS,THE
1.8 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. Lai is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 17%), with 20 years of practice experience.

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. Lai experienced with comprehensive eye exam, established patient?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lai performed 22 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. Lai receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lai received a total of $1,514 from 13 companies across 34 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. Lai's costs compare to other pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus specialist physician physicians in Houston?
Dr. Lai's average Medicare payment per service is $58. 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. Lai) 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 →