Medicare Enrolled

Dr. James Harkins, M.D.

Optician · Waco, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
2400 AMBASSADOR DR, Waco, TX 76712
2547564457
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1982896056 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. Harkins 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. Harkins? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Harkins

Dr. James Harkins is an optician in Waco, TX, with 18 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Harkins performed 2,179 Medicare services across 1,647 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Harkins received a total of $959 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 39 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. Harkins 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.

✓ 18 years in practice▲ Top 29% volume in TX$ $959 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
2,179
Medicare services
Top 29% in TX for optician
1,647
Unique beneficiaries
$106
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~121 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 patient753$79$240
Ultrasound scan to determine eye length and lens power257$22$95
Eye exam, established patient, focused229$59$165
Cataract surgery with lens implant208$416$1,652
Removal of recurring cataract in lens capsule using a laser192$244$630
Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan)122$24$75
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)115$27$75
Retinal photography (fundus photo)113$25$110
Visual field test, extended71$42$130
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient68$82$280
Ct scan of cornea36$23$70
Ultrasound scan of cornea to determine thickness15$7$35
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.
9.5% high complexity
25.0% medium
65.4% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$959
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $160/year across 6 years
Bottom 44% in TX for optician
15
Companies
39
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
$959 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$395
2023
$67
2022
$120
2021
$40
2019
$74
2018
$264

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$260
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$159
Alcon Vision LLC
$138
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$92
Shire North American Group Inc
$55
Allergan, Inc.
$47
Dompe US, Inc.
$34
TissueTech, Inc.
$33
BioTissue Holdings, Inc.
$24
Amgen Inc.
$23
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
$22
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$21
Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$19
TearLab Corp
$17
AbbVie, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 58.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTIVEFOCUS · ALPHAGAN P · Centurion · Clareon · Humira · INVELTYS · LUMIGAN · LenSx · Luxor · MIEBO · ORA · OXERVATE · PROKERA · Prokera · RESTASIS MULTIDOSE · Simbrinza · TEPEZZA · TearLab Osmolarity System · VUITY · VYZULTA · XDEMVY · XIIDRA
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 $44 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a optician in Waco?
Compare opticians in the Waco area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Opticians within 10 mi
31
Per 100K population
11.8
County median income
$63,888
Nearest hospital
ASCENSION PROVIDENCE
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. Harkins is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 29% in TX), and low-engagement industry engagement, 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

Is Dr. Harkins experienced with comprehensive eye exam, established patient?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Harkins performed 753 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. Harkins receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Harkins received a total of $959 from 15 companies across 39 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. Harkins's costs compare to other opticians in Waco?
Dr. Harkins's average Medicare payment per service is $106. 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. Harkins) 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 →