Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Lee, M.D.

Ophthalmology · Temple, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1815 S 31ST ST, Temple, TX 76504
2547242111
In practice since 2011 (14 years)
NPI: 1932494143 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. Lee 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. Lee? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Lee

Dr. Christopher Lee is an ophthalmology specialist in Temple, TX, with 14 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lee performed 1,162 Medicare services across 1,023 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lee received a total of $559 from 4 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 5 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. Lee 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.

✓ 14 years in practice ▲ 1,162 Medicare services $559 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,162
Medicare services
Bottom 35% in TX for ophthalmology
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
1,023
Unique beneficiaries
$76
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~83 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
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)
A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
206 $66 $209
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
181 $43 $142
Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan)
Imaging of the optic nerve.
175 $15 $82
Visual field test, extended
A test that maps your complete field of vision to detect blind spots or peripheral vision loss. Extended testing provides a more detailed assessment than a standard visual field exam.
127 $18 $82
Ultrasound scan of cornea to determine thickness
An ultrasound procedure used to measure the thickness of the cornea.
103 $6 $43
Corneal topography and eye depth measurement
This procedure measures the curvature and depth of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye.
99 $21 $90
New patient office visit (45-59 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter.
94 $89 $325
Cataract surgery with lens implant
Surgical removal of the clouded natural lens of the eye and replacement with an artificial prosthetic lens to restore vision.
56 $400 $1,973
Eye drainage system examination
An examination of the internal drainage system of the eye to assess how fluid flows and drains from the eye.
33 $14 $79
Dilation of eye fluid drainage
A procedure to widen the drainage pathways in the eye to help fluid flow out more easily.
28 $329 $2,866
Cataract removal with artificial lens and drainage device insertion
Surgical removal of the eye's natural lens followed by the insertion of an artificial lens and a drainage device into the front chamber of the eye.
25 $520 $2,048
Laser repair to improve eye fluid flow
A laser procedure used to enhance the drainage of fluid within the eye.
22 $160 $1,059
Laser removal of recurring cataract
A laser procedure to remove a recurring cataract within the lens capsule.
13 $220 $1,024
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.
4.8% high complexity
23.9% medium
71.3% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$559
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $140/year across 4 years
Bottom 27% in TX for ophthalmology
4
Companies
5
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
$559 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$185
2023
$108
2022
$155
2018
$110

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Glaukos Corporation
$271
GLAUKOS CORPORATION
$155
EllexiScience
$110
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$22
Top 3 companies account for 96.0% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
IACCESS · OMNI SURGICAL SYSTEM · iDose
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 $48 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for an ophthalmology specialist in Temple?
Compare ophthalmologists in the Temple area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse ophthalmologists nearby

Geographic Context

Ophthalmologists within 10 mi
17
Per 100K population
4.5
County median income
$66,051
Nearest hospital
TEMPLE VA MEDICAL CENTER (VA CENTRAL TEXAS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM)
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. Lee is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, 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. Lee experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lee performed 206 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Lee receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lee received a total of $559 from 4 companies across 5 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. Lee's costs compare to other ophthalmologists in Temple?
Dr. Lee's average Medicare payment per service is $76. 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. Lee) 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 →