Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Jie Gao, M.D.

Ophthalmology · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
7789 SOUTHWEST FWY STE 530, Houston, TX 77074
2814952222
In practice since 2014 (11 years)
NPI: 1669882221 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. Gao 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. Gao? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Gao

Dr. Jie Gao is an ophthalmology specialist in Houston, TX, with 11 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Gao performed 4,983 Medicare services across 894 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Gao received a total of $2,049 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 49 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. Gao 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.

✓ 11 years in practice ▲ Top 17% volume in TX $2,049 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
4,983
Medicare services
Top 17% in TX for ophthalmology
894
Unique beneficiaries
$77
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~453 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
Eye injection (Vabysmo/faricimab) 3,000 $29 $55
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient 426 $98 $324
Retinal imaging (OCT scan) 403 $31 $104
Aflibercept eye injection (Eylea) 282 $692 $1,458
Eye injection for retinal disease 223 $96 $325
Extended exam of the back part of the eye with retinal drawing 185 $19 $64
Retinal photography (fundus photo) 163 $30 $97
Extended exam of the back part of the eye with optic nerve drawing 78 $12 $40
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient 70 $106 $380
Compounded drug, not otherwise classified 51 $65 $202
Exam of retinal blood vessels using a special camera after injection of a dye 50 $112 $353
2d ultrasound scan of eye tissue and structures 30 $39 $124
Eye exam, established patient, focused 22 $74 $231
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 ↗
$2,049
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $410/year across 5 years
Top 46% in TX for ophthalmology
14
Companies
49
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
$1,965 (95.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$84 (4.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$735
2023
$351
2022
$544
2021
$151
2019
$268

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$721
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$328
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$177
Genentech USA, Inc.
$165
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$164
Allergan Inc.
$103
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$94
Notal Vision, Inc.
$84
Alimera Sciences, Inc.
$78
ABBVIE INC.
$49
BioTissue Holdings, Inc.
$24
Shire North American Group Inc
$24
Dompe US, Inc.
$23
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 59.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · DEXYCU · EYLEA · EYLEA HD · ILUVIEN · Izervay · OZURDEX · Oxervate · PROKERA · Syfovre · VABYSMO · Vabysmo · XIIDRA · XIPERE · YUTIQ
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 (96%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $41 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for an ophthalmology specialist in Houston?
Compare ophthalmologists in the Houston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Ophthalmologists within 10 mi
271
Per 100K population
5.7
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
WEST OAKS HOSPITAL
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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Gao is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 17% in TX), with 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. Gao experienced with eye injection (vabysmo/faricimab)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Gao performed 3,000 eye injection (vabysmo/faricimab) 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. Gao receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Gao received a total of $2,049 from 14 companies across 49 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. Gao's costs compare to other ophthalmologists in Houston?
Dr. Gao'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. Gao) 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 →