Physician profile
James Lai
NPI 1871606186
$6,288.35
in general payments reported to CMS, 2019-2025
14 companies · $330 in 2025
The $330 reported for 2025 was less than what a typical Ophthalmology provider received nationally (typical 2025 total: $384).
Payments by year
General payments by program year, as reported to CMS.
General payments by year: 2019: $4,588 · 2020: $427 · 2021: $264 · 2022: $354 · 2023: $326 · 2025: $330.
What the payments were for
Nature of payment as categorized by the reporting companies: meals, consulting, travel, and so on.
Food and Beverage: $656.
View as a table
| Payment type | Amount (2023-2025) |
|---|---|
| Food and Beverage | $655.96 |
Payment-type detail covers 2023-2025; earlier years are included in totals but not broken out here.
Who reported paying
General payments only, as reported to CMS. Product names cover 2023-2025.
| Company | General payments | Years | Top products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carl Zeiss Meditec, INC. | $4,300.00 | 2019-2020 | |
| Alcon Vision LLC | $526.18 | 2021-2025 | Unity |
| Genentech USA, INC. | $332.19 | 2022-2025 | Vabysmo |
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, INC. | $235.67 | 2020-2023 | Eylea Hd |
| Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation | $231.35 | 2019 | |
| Hoffmann-La Roche Limited | $162.84 | 2019 | |
| Rxsight INC | $119.56 | 2023 | Rxsight Light Adjustable Lens (Rxlal), Rxsight Light Delivery Device (Ldd), Rxsight Contact Lens |
| Bausch & Lomb, A Division of Bausch Health US, LLC | $103.23 | 2019 | |
| Allergan, INC. | $90.43 | 2019 | |
| Astellas Pharma US INC | $81.37 | 2023 | |
| Aerie Pharmaceuticals, INC. | $49.93 | 2021 | |
| Mallinckrodt Hospital Products INC. | $39.66 | 2025 | Acthar |
| Dutch Ophthalmic, USA | $15.94 | 2020 |
1 company reported research payments only; those appear in the research section below.
Drugs and devices associated with these payments
CMS records which products a payment was associated with, not how the money was allocated. Association is not allocation: one payment can be associated with several products, and a product listing does not mean the payment was made because of that product. Product detail covers 2023-2025.
If you want to bring it up
Most clinicians are glad to talk about this. A respectful way in:
- "I saw James Lai listed in the CMS Open Payments database. Can you tell me about your work with those companies?"
- "Is there a generic or alternative to this medication, and would it work as well for me?"
- "What made you choose this particular treatment for my situation?"
These are normal questions. A good clinician will welcome them.
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Source: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019-2025, as reported to CMS by drug and device makers (published June 30, 2026). Drug and device detail covers 2023-2025.