Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Clarence Wheeler, M.D.

Optician · Lubbock, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1126 SLIDE RD, Lubbock, TX 79416
8067938447
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1699776732 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. Wheeler 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. Wheeler? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Wheeler

Dr. Clarence Wheeler is an optician in Lubbock, TX, with 20 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Wheeler performed 3,333 Medicare services across 1,834 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Wheeler received a total of $1,429 from 18 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 42 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Wheeler 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▲ Top 20% volume in TX$ $1,429 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
3,333
Medicare services
Top 20% in TX for optician
1,834
Unique beneficiaries
$82
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~167 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
Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based)994$0$0
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)332$61$127
Dialysis services, 4 or more physician visits per month (20 years or older)188$267$400
Complete ultrasound scan behind abdominal cavity170$78$300
Insertion of needle and/or tube into hemodialysis circuit and balloon dilation of dialysis segment with review by radiologist159$174$723
Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity135$90$125
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)110$129$350
Review by radiologist of arm or leg artery image90$84$450
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)80$89$365
Dxa bone density measurement of hip, pelvis, spine including spine fracture assessment78$49$300
Calculation of trabecular bone score (tbs) using imaging data with interpretation and report on fracture risk76$30$199
Removal of tunneled central venous tube62$97$396
New patient office visit (30-44 min)61$77$263
Insertion of tube into chest or arm artery, each first order branch60$82$850
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity49$61$90
New patient office visit (45-59 min)45$116$390
Complete ultrasound of artery and vein blood flow pre-op assessment on side of body for hemodialysis access44$95$450
Use of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by physician performing a procedure, each additional 15 minutes40$8$35
Balloon dilation of dialysis segment with review by radiologist39$109$420
Sleep study including heart rate, breathing, and sleep time38$95$500
Ultrasound of one arm arteries or artery grafts37$93$365
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)37$23$60
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min)32$143$400
Removal and/or dissolving of blood clot in hemodialysis circuit and balloon dilation of dialysis segment with imaging review by radiologist, with balloon tube31$323$1,640
Sleep study in sleep lab with continuous airway pressure (6 years or older)31$474$1,900
Dialysis services, 2-3 physician visits per month (20 years or older)30$218$351
Fluoroscopic guidance for insertion or removal of central vein access device29$72$305
Collection and interpretation of physical parameters stored in computers and/or transmitted by the patient and/or caregiver to qualified health care professional, requiring 30 minutes or more, per 30 days29$41$103
Injection for x-ray imaging procedure into vein of arm or leg24$176$890
Review by radiologist of 1 arm or leg vein of 1 arm or leg image24$72$330
Review by radiologist of major upper body vein image21$79$360
Bone density scan (DEXA)20$36$500
Sleep study in sleep lab (6 years or older)19$460$1,800
Initial hospital admission, high complexity19$133$215
Ultrasound of hemodialysis access17$82$450
Insertion of needle and/or tube into hemodialysis circuit and insertion of stent in dialysis segment with review by radiologist16$224$900
Removal and/or dissolving of blood clot in hemodialysis circuit and balloon dilation of dialysis segment and placement of stent with review by radiologist14$382$1,500
Permanent blockage of hemodialysis circuit with review by radiologist14$150$600
Replacement of tunneled central venous tube13$74$531
Balloon dilation of vein with review by radiologist, initial vein13$213$855
Use of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by physician performing a procedure (5 years or older), initial 15 minutes13$38$150
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.
1.3% high complexity
54.7% medium
44.0% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$1,429
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $286/year across 5 years
Top 49% in TX for optician
18
Companies
42
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
$1,387 (97.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$41 (2.9%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$948
2023
$238
2022
$83
2020
$38
2019
$121

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$566
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$177
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$123
Shire North American Group Inc
$105
Medtronic, Inc.
$63
AKEBIA THERAPEUTICS INC
$41
Fresenius USA Marketing, Inc.
$40
Amgen Inc.
$39
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$38
Novo Nordisk Inc
$38
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$34
Nevro Corp.
$30
OPKO Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$29
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$27
Lilly USA, LLC
$24
Exeltis, USA Inc.
$20
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$18
Relypsa, Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 60.7% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BENLYSTA · ELLIPSYS VASCULAR ACCESS SYSTEM · EVENITY · FARXIGA · JYNARQUE · Kerendia · Ozempic · PURIFIED CORTROPHIN GEL · RAYALDEE · REYVOW · STRENSIQ · Senza · TAVNEOS · TERLIVAZ · Vafseo · Velphoro · Veltassa
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 (97%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $43 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a optician in Lubbock?
Compare opticians in the Lubbock area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Opticians within 10 mi
31
Per 100K population
9.9
County median income
$63,367
Nearest hospital
LUBBOCK HEART HOSPITAL LP
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. Wheeler is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 20% in TX), and low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Wheeler experienced with contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Wheeler performed 994 contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) 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. Wheeler receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Wheeler received a total of $1,429 from 18 companies across 42 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. Wheeler's costs compare to other opticians in Lubbock?
Dr. Wheeler's average Medicare payment per service is $82. 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. Wheeler) 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 →