Paul Ernest, MD
Ophthalmology · Jackson, MINPI 1508861659
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
Almost everything reported here is food and beverage — 94.1% of the total across 22 separate payments, which is the pattern of a clinician who attends manufacturer presentations rather than one with a consulting arrangement. Alcon accounts for 62.1% of it on its own, with 5 other manufacturers making up the rest. That places this record below the midpoint for ophthalmology clinicians in MI, where the typical reported total is $1,066.
Across 22 payments — averaging $27.60 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Alcon$377
- Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.$109
- Rayner Intraocular Lenses Limited$53
- Optos, Inc.$36
- Alimera Sciences, Inc.$18
- Amgen$15
What the payments were for
- Food & beverage$57194%
- Entertainment$366%
Most of this is food and beverage — typically meals provided during product presentations at a clinic or hospital. Nationally that is the single largest category of reported payments by count.
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Alcon | 12 | $377 |
| Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc. | 5 | $109 |
| Rayner Intraocular Lenses Limited | 2 | $53 |
| Optos, Inc. | 1 | $36 |
| Alimera Sciences, Inc. | 1 | $18 |
| Amgen | 1 | $15 |
How this compares
$607 in reported general payments places this provider in the 40th percentile of 674 ophthalmology providers in Michigan.
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| ProlensaBromfenac Sodium | 42 | $14,462 |
| MieboPerfluorohexyloctane/Pf | 16 | $12,159 |
| Prednisolone Acetate | 165 | $10,016 |
| Bromfenac Sodium | 20 | $4,035 |
| Ofloxacin | 147 | $1,924 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other ophthalmology in Jackson
- Mahmoud El-YassirJackson$9K
- Kevin LaveryJackson$9K
- Manjool ShahAnn Arbor$609K
- Gregory KatzYpsilanti$401K
- Timothy PageBirmingham$250K
- David ZacksAnn Arbor$177K
- Scott WesthouseGrand Rapids$138K
- Bret HughesDetroit$123K
- Pradeepa YoganathanDetroit$115K
- Jason MillerAnn Arbor$104K
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.