Total Payments
$45,173
2024 Payments
$2,319
Companies
24
Transactions
234
Medicare Patients
9,168
Medicare Billing
$1.6M
Payment Breakdown by Category
Other$16,200 (35.9%)
Food & Beverage$12,214 (27.0%)
Consulting$9,725 (21.5%)
Travel$7,035 (15.6%)
Payments by Nature
| Nature of Payment | Amount | Transactions | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program | $16,200 | 12 | 35.9% |
| Food and Beverage | $12,214 | 191 | 27.0% |
| Consulting Fee | $9,725 | 5 | 21.5% |
| Travel and Lodging | $7,035 | 26 | 15.6% |
Top Paying Companies
| Company | Total | Records | Latest Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Orthopaedic Solutions, Inc. | $16,860 | 14 | $0 (2020) |
| Stryker Corporation | $11,184 | 94 | $0 (2024) |
| Arthrex, Inc. | $8,300 | 3 | $0 (2021) |
| Smith+Nephew, Inc. | $4,186 | 29 | $0 (2024) |
| ENCORE MEDICAL, LP | $2,780 | 26 | $0 (2024) |
| Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. | $374.55 | 37 | $0 (2019) |
| Trice Medical, Inc. | $313.40 | 3 | $0 (2019) |
| Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. | $240.56 | 2 | $0 (2023) |
| Conformis, Inc. | $191.30 | 2 | $0 (2022) |
| Linvatec Corporation | $139.92 | 2 | $0 (2019) |
Payment History by Year
| Year | Amount | Transactions | Top Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,319 | 13 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. ($2,093) |
| 2023 | $2,121 | 20 | Stryker Corporation ($1,302) |
| 2022 | $514.98 | 6 | Stryker Corporation ($283.93) |
| 2021 | $9,099 | 11 | Arthrex, Inc. ($8,300) |
| 2020 | $11,159 | 20 | Advanced Orthopaedic Solutions, Inc. ($7,600) |
| 2019 | $7,620 | 49 | Stryker Corporation ($3,625) |
| 2018 | $9,355 | 61 | ADVANCED ORTHOPAEDIC SOLUTIONS, INC. ($5,687) |
| 2017 | $2,985 | 54 | Smith & Nephew, Inc. ($1,520) |
All Payment Transactions
234 individual payment records from CMS Open Payments — Page 1 of 10
| Date | Company | Product | Nature | Form | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/23/2024 | Stryker Corporation | MAKO (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $52.11 | General |
| Category: KNEES, HIPS | ||||||
| 11/04/2024 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | REAL INTELLIGENCE (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $147.94 | General |
| Category: Recon Robotics | ||||||
| 10/19/2024 | ENCORE MEDICAL, LP | DJO SURGICAL (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $56.91 | General |
| Category: Joint Implants | ||||||
| 06/29/2024 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | REAL INTELLIGENCE (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $149.88 | General |
| Category: Recon Robotics | ||||||
| 05/22/2024 | ENCORE MEDICAL, LP | DJO SURGICAL (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $116.32 | General |
| Category: Joint Implants | ||||||
| 04/19/2024 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | JOURNEY II (Device), Legion Revision, OR3O Dual Mobility | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $195.00 | General |
| Category: Recon Knees | ||||||
| 04/19/2024 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | JOURNEY II (Device), Legion Revision, OR3O Dual Mobility | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $152.52 | General |
| Category: Recon Knees | ||||||
| 04/19/2024 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | REAL INTELLIGENCE (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $98.45 | General |
| Category: Recon Robotics | ||||||
| 04/18/2024 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | JOURNEY II (Device), Legion Revision, OR3O Dual Mobility | Travel and Lodging | In-kind items and services | $803.50 | General |
| Category: Recon Knees | ||||||
| 04/18/2024 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | JOURNEY II (Device), JOURNEY II | Travel and Lodging | In-kind items and services | $229.96 | General |
| Category: Recon Knees | ||||||
| 04/18/2024 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | JOURNEY II (Device), Legion Revision, OR3O Dual Mobility | Travel and Lodging | In-kind items and services | $66.19 | General |
| Category: Recon Knees | ||||||
| 04/16/2024 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | REAL INTELLIGENCE (Device) | Travel and Lodging | In-kind items and services | $125.00 | General |
| Category: Recon Robotics | ||||||
| 04/16/2024 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | REAL INTELLIGENCE (Device) | Travel and Lodging | In-kind items and services | $125.00 | General |
| Category: Recon Robotics | ||||||
| 12/03/2023 | Stryker Corporation | MAKO (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $117.38 | General |
| Category: KNEES, HIPS | ||||||
| 12/01/2023 | Insight Medical Systems, Inc. | Arvis (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $123.66 | General |
| Category: Devices | ||||||
| 11/16/2023 | Smith+Nephew, Inc. | REAL INTELLIGENCE (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $149.80 | General |
| Category: Recon Robotics | ||||||
| 10/10/2023 | Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. | Tapestry (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $106.91 | General |
| Category: Sports Medicine | ||||||
| 09/24/2023 | Stryker Corporation | MAKO (Device) | Travel and Lodging | Cash or cash equivalent | $217.55 | General |
| Category: KNEES, HIPS | ||||||
| 09/24/2023 | Stryker Corporation | MAKO (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $154.56 | General |
| Category: KNEES, HIPS | ||||||
| 09/24/2023 | Stryker Corporation | MAKO (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $118.92 | General |
| Category: JOINT REPLACEMENT HIPS, KNEES | ||||||
| 09/24/2023 | Stryker Corporation | MAKO (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $70.48 | General |
| Category: KNEES, HIPS | ||||||
| 09/24/2023 | Stryker Corporation | MAKO (Device) | Travel and Lodging | Cash or cash equivalent | $33.05 | General |
| Category: KNEES, HIPS | ||||||
| 09/23/2023 | Stryker Corporation | MAKO (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $64.88 | General |
| Category: KNEES, HIPS | ||||||
| 09/23/2023 | Stryker Corporation | MAKO (Device) | Food and Beverage | In-kind items and services | $23.69 | General |
| Category: KNEES, HIPS | ||||||
| 09/05/2023 | Stryker Corporation | MAKO (Device) | Travel and Lodging | Cash or cash equivalent | $234.65 | General |
| Category: KNEES, HIPS | ||||||
Medicare Billing by Year
| Year | Procedures | Beneficiaries | Services | Submitted | Medicare Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 30 | 2,866 | 5,476 | $1.9M | $440,761 |
| 2022 | 21 | 2,127 | 39,246 | $1.6M | $422,402 |
| 2021 | 23 | 2,274 | 75,571 | $1.9M | $458,455 |
| 2020 | 24 | 1,901 | 34,773 | $1.5M | $275,427 |
Total Patients
9,168
Total Services
155,066
Medicare Billing
$1.6M
Procedure Codes
98
All Medicare Procedures & Services
98 procedure records from CMS Medicare Utilization — Page 1 of 4
| HCPCS | Description | Setting | Year | Patients | Services | Charges | Medicare Paid | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99214 | Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes | Office | 2023 | 516 | 1,442 | $288,400 | $144,192 | 50.0% |
| 20611 | Aspiration and/or injection of fluid large joint using ultrasound guidance | Office | 2023 | 365 | 1,088 | $452,350 | $88,464 | 19.6% |
| 27447 | Replacement of knee joint, both sides of knee | Facility | 2023 | 49 | 49 | $318,500 | $49,912 | 15.7% |
| J7321 | Hyaluronan or derivative, hyalgan, supartz or visco-3, for intra-articular injection, per dose | Office | 2023 | 168 | 721 | $324,450 | $41,815 | 12.9% |
| 99204 | New patient office or other outpatient visit, 45-59 minutes | Office | 2023 | 321 | 321 | $112,350 | $39,924 | 35.5% |
| 99213 | Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes | Office | 2023 | 317 | 443 | $88,600 | $32,252 | 36.4% |
| 99203 | New patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-44 minutes | Office | 2023 | 113 | 113 | $39,550 | $10,262 | 25.9% |
| 29876 | Removal of joint lining from multiple knee joint compartments using an endoscope | Facility | 2023 | 17 | 19 | $51,300 | $9,857 | 19.2% |
| J1040 | Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 80 mg | Office | 2023 | 257 | 414 | $12,420 | $3,826 | 30.8% |
| 76881 | Complete ultrasound scan of joint | Office | 2023 | 55 | 62 | $18,600 | $2,710 | 14.6% |
| 76942 | Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement | Office | 2023 | 42 | 56 | $16,800 | $2,608 | 15.5% |
| 99233 | Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 50 minutes | Facility | 2023 | 21 | 26 | $11,700 | $2,467 | 21.1% |
| 73562 | X-ray of knee, 3 views | Office | 2023 | 220 | 236 | $24,544 | $1,787 | 7.3% |
| 29880 | Removal of both knee cartilages using an endoscope | Facility | 2023 | 12 | 13 | $49,400 | $1,618 | 3.3% |
| J7323 | Hyaluronan or derivative, euflexxa, for intra-articular injection, per dose | Office | 2023 | 11 | 18 | $10,800 | $1,608 | 14.9% |
| 20550 | Injection into tendon or ligament | Office | 2023 | 29 | 33 | $3,795 | $1,532 | 40.4% |
| 20526 | Injection of carpal tunnel | Office | 2023 | 11 | 20 | $2,300 | $1,335 | 58.1% |
| G0180 | Physician or allowed practitioner certification for medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care (patient not present), including contacts with home health agency and review of reports of patient status required by physicians and | Office | 2023 | 27 | 28 | $4,200 | $1,201 | 28.6% |
| 73030 | X-ray of shoulder, minimum of 2 views | Office | 2023 | 77 | 87 | $9,570 | $659.66 | 6.9% |
| 73502 | X-ray of hip, 2-3 views | Office | 2023 | 51 | 53 | $6,466 | $474.83 | 7.3% |
| 97530 | Therapy procedure using functional activities | Office | 2023 | 13 | 13 | $702.00 | $403.26 | 57.4% |
| 73130 | X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views | Office | 2023 | 32 | 43 | $4,128 | $340.17 | 8.2% |
| 73110 | X-ray of wrist, minimum of 3 views | Office | 2023 | 26 | 40 | $3,840 | $319.97 | 8.3% |
| 73610 | X-ray of ankle, minimum of 3 views | Office | 2023 | 24 | 37 | $3,552 | $275.02 | 7.7% |
| 29280 | Placement of strapping to hand or finger | Office | 2023 | 12 | 12 | $1,200 | $263.57 | 22.0% |
About Dr. Christopher Lai, MD
Dr. Christopher Lai, MD is a Orthopaedic Surgery healthcare provider based in Brawley, California. This provider has been registered with the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) since 02/06/2007. The National Provider Identifier (NPI) number assigned to this provider is 1508905159.
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments database, Dr. Christopher Lai, MD has received a total of $45,173 in payments from pharmaceutical and medical device companies, with $2,319 received in 2024. These payments were reported across 234 transactions from 24 companies. The most common payment nature is "Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program" ($16,200).
As a Medicare-enrolled provider, Lai has provided services to 9,168 Medicare beneficiaries, totaling 155,066 services with total Medicare billing of $1.6M. Data is available for 4 years (2020–2023), covering 98 distinct procedure/service records.
Ad
Practice Information
- Specialty Orthopaedic Surgery
- Location Brawley, CA
- Active Since 02/06/2007
- Last Updated 02/24/2021
- Taxonomy Code 207X00000X
- Entity Type Individual
- NPI Number 1508905159
Products in Payments
- AOS Products (Device) $8,473
- Trochanteric Nail (Device) $7,600
- MAKO (Device) $3,753
- TRIDENT (Device) $2,350
- PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS (Device) $1,688
- JOURNEY II (Device) $1,447
- Navio Surgical System (Device) $1,007
- TRITANIUM (Device) $975.74
- REAL INTELLIGENCE (Device) $896.91
- TRIATHLON (Device) $876.22
- DJO Surgical Cobalt HV Bone Cement (Device) $829.12
- AOS PRODUCTS (Device) $786.88
- DJO Surgical Empowr Knee System (Device) $745.02
- ACCOLADE (Device) $653.92
- REUNION (Device) $583.37
- DJO Surgical TaperFill Hip System (Device) $457.51
- DJO SURGICAL (Device) $439.52
- EUFLEXXA (Device) $374.55
- Anthology (Device) $335.78
- DJO Surgical AltiVate Reverse (Device) $270.57
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Data Sources
Provider data from NPPES. Payment data from CMS Open Payments. Medicare data from CMS Medicare Provider Utilization. All data is public and updated periodically.