Dr. Tristan Lai, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Lai
Dr. Tristan Lai is a pain medicine in Spring Branch, TX, with 18 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lai performed 3,388 Medicare services across 1,089 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lai received a total of $17,476 from 29 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 411 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain medicine. 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 768 | $88 | $376 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) | 750 | $0 | $9 |
| Testing for presence of drug, read by direct observation | 289 | $12 | $60 |
| Contrast dye for imaging, lower concentration | 272 | $0 | $3 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 244 | $64 | $266 |
| Acupuncture with electrical stimulation, each additional 15 minutes | 159 | $28 | $112 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 125 | $109 | $489 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) | 97 | $1 | $8 |
| Acupuncture with electrical stimulation, initial 15 minutes | 81 | $34 | $136 |
| Electronic analysis reprogramming and refill of spinal canal drug infusion pump by physician | 68 | $65 | $779 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone sodium succinate, up to 125 mg | 68 | $4 | $28 |
| Electronic analysis and reprogramming of spinal canal drug infusion pump | 59 | $31 | $401 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into joint between lower spine and hip bone using imaging guidance | 56 | $142 | $944 |
| Injection of anesthetic and/or steroid drug into sacral spine nerve root using imaging guidance, single level | 54 | $200 | $1,963 |
| Injection of anesthetic and/or steroid drug into sacral spine nerve root using imaging guidance, each additional level | 50 | $87 | $884 |
| Aspiration and/or injection of fluid large joint using ultrasound guidance | 48 | $94 | $384 |
| Injection of lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance, single level | 30 | $180 | $2,148 |
| Injection of substance into lower spine canal using imaging guidance | 24 | $200 | $1,611 |
| Injection of lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance, second level | 24 | $96 | $808 |
| Injection of upper or middle spine facet joint using imaging guidance, single level | 23 | $170 | $1,939 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) | 22 | $64 | $327 |
| Destruction of lower or sacral spinal facet joint nerves using imaging guidance, single facet joint | 21 | $471 | $3,082 |
| Injection of substance into middle or upper spine canal using imaging guidance | 20 | $195 | $1,712 |
| Destruction of lower or sacral spinal facet joint nerves using imaging guidance, each additional facet joint | 18 | $265 | $1,221 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 80 mg | 18 | $9 | $33 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (87%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
18.5 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. Lai is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 22% in TX), and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 14%), with 18 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
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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.
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