James Z. Lai, MD
NPI 1699760447ActiveIndividual· Ophthalmology· Houston, TX
Ophthalmology (MD) with Hea Clinic PA, practicing in Houston, Texas. Mostly services rather than prescriptions: Medicare paid $3,430 for 30 patients in 2024, with only 20 Part D claims. Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was the largest of 3 companies reporting payments in 2025, $335.47 in all, mostly food and beverage.
Overview
| NPI | 1699760447 |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Entity type | Individual |
| Credential | MD |
| Sole proprietor | No |
| NPI issued | Sep 19, 2005 |
| Last updated in NPPES | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Certified by provider | Oct 23, 2026 |
Specialties and licenses
| Taxonomy | Code | License | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmology Primary | 207W00000X | K8278 | TX |
| Ophthalmology, Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Specialist | 207WX0110X | K8278 | TX |
Exclusion screening
| List | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| HHS-OIG LEIE · Nov 10, 2026 | No match | Checked by NPI and by name + state |
| North Carolina Medicaid · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| New York OMIG · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Ohio Medicaid · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Pennsylvania Medicheck · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Washington HCA · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
Official OIG search · How matching works ·Bulk check a roster
Medicare
| Enrollment (PECOS) | Enrolled Practitioner - Ophthalmology (TX) |
|---|---|
| Accepts assignment | Yes (participating) |
Medicare services in 2024
| Medicare patients | 30 |
|---|---|
| Services billed | 58 across 5 procedure codes |
| Paid by Medicare | $3,430 |
Part D prescriptions in 2024
| Prescriptions (claims) | 20 · 25 30-day fills |
|---|---|
| Total drug cost | $38.52 |
| Generic share | 90% of claims |
Education and affiliations
| Graduation year | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Medicare specialty | Ophthalmology |
Medical group
- Hea Clinic PAShenandoah, TX · 42 clinicians
Industry payments (Open Payments)
- 2025$335.47 · 3 payments from 3 companies
- 2024$571.26 · 6 payments from 4 companies
Top paying companies in 2025
| Company | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | $141.25 | 1 |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | $109.38 | 1 |
| Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. | $84.84 | 1 |
What the 2025 payments were for
- Food and Beverage$335.47 · 3 payments
Receiving payments does not imply wrongdoing. What Open Payments covers ·original records
Other ophthalmologists in Houston
- 1003914151
- 1023271582
- 1033108410
- 1033169842
- 1033391362
- 1043566839
- 1053319301
- 1053638312
- 1063651115
- 1063788446
- 1073075404
- 1073508164
All 341 ophthalmologists in Houston · All ophthalmologists in Texas