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- 795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94301
About Dr. Lai
Based in Palo Alto, CA, Steve R. Lai, MD is listed in the NPI registry under hospice/palliative care. Steve graduated from University of Missouri, Kansas City, School of Medicine in 1999. Steve is also listed as specializing in geriatric medicine and hospice & palliative medicine. According to Medicare claims data, Steve cared for 281 Medicare patients across 380 services. The services billed most often include advance care planning, first 30 minutes, residence visit for established patient with high level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 60 minutes, and residence visit for established patient with moderate level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 40 minutes. NPI 1053377580 identifies this record in the national registry.
Factual summary compiled by Guide.md from public records; not written by this provider.
Education & Training
Specialty
Credentials & Licensing
Medicare information
Exactly as CMS reports it (National Downloadable File, Opt-Out Affidavits, Order & Referring). Not an insurance directory; confirm coverage with the office.
Contact Information
- (650) 321-4121
- Email not available
Practice Locations
795 EL CAMINO REAL
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Conditions Commonly Evaluated or Treated
Within Hospice and Palliative Medicine generally. Availability varies by clinician, training and location — this profile has not been claimed, so nothing here is a personal claim by the provider.
Conditions
Cancer Care
Cancer Pain
- Bone Pain From Cancer
Chronic Illness
Digestive & Nutrition
- Hiccups That Will Not Stop
- Severe Nausea In Advanced Illness
End of Life Symptoms
- Rattling Breathing
- Terminal Agitation
Fluid & Swelling
Lung Conditions
Mental Health
- Severe Illness Anxiety
Mouth & Throat
Nerve & Pain
Neurological
- Advanced Dementia
- Advanced Huntington's Disease
- Advanced Multiple Sclerosis
- Advanced Parkinson's Disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Muscle Twitches And Spasms
- Severe Stroke Complications
- Tumor Pressing On Spinal Cord
- Unresponsiveness
Nutrition & Digestion
- Bowel Obstruction In Cancer
- Cancer Treatment Side Effects and Nutrition
- Constipation From Pain Medicine
- Severe Weight Loss And Wasting
- Swallowing difficulties
Pain & Symptoms
- Ascites
- Cancer-related fatigue
- Fluid around the lungs
- Lymphedema
- Severe Cancer Pain
- Shortness of breath
Skin & Wound
- Cancer Wounds
Skin Conditions
- Severe Itching From Organ Failure
Sleep & Mental Health
- Waking Up Too Early
Urinary & Bowel
- Incontinence At End Of Life
Wound Care
Procedures & services
Breathing Support
- Home Oxygen Setup
- Mucus And Secretion Clearing
Care Planning
- Advance Care Planning
- DNR Orders Discussion
- Medical Power Of Attorney Setup
- POLST Or DNR Consultation
- Stopping Tube Feeding Discussion
Catheter & Line Care
- Bladder Catheter Placement and Care
- Home Drainage Catheter Care
Consultations
- Comfort care transition
Counseling & Support
- Grief And Loss Counseling
- Spiritual Care And Chaplain Visits
End of Life Care
- Palliative Sedation
- Removing Life Support
- Stopping Dialysis Support
Fluid Drainage
Hospice Care
- Comfort Care
- Continuous Crisis Hospice Care
- In-Home Hospice Care
- Inpatient Hospice Care
Hospice Services
- Hospice Care Evaluation
Medication Management
- Deprescribing consultation
- Hospice Emergency Comfort Kit
- Post-Op Nausea Prevention and Treatment
- Subcutaneous Butterfly Line Placement
- Tapering Off Psychiatric Medication
Pain Management
- Celiac plexus block
- Pain pump implant
- Palliative radiation for bone pain
- Patient-Controlled Pain Pump
- Rib nerve block
Personal Care
- Hospice Bathing And Personal Care
- Mouth Care Swabs And Oral Hygiene
Rehabilitation & Mobility
- Palliative Physical Therapy
Specialized Care
- Pediatric Palliative Care
Support Services
- Family therapy
- Hospice Volunteer Companion Visits
- Hospital Bed And Equipment Setup At Home
- Respite Care For Families
Wound Care
- Bedsore Treatment And Dressings
- Cancer Wound Odor And Dressing Care
Procedures Most Often Billed to Medicare
380 services · 281 patients · 9 distinct codes
| Procedure | Type | Code | Services | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advance care planning, first 30 minutes | Office visit | 99497 |
90 | More often than most peers in Hospice/Palliative Care |
| Residence visit for established patient with high level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 60 minutes | Office visit | 99350 |
60 | As often as other peers in Hospice/Palliative Care |
| Residence visit for established patient with moderate level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 40 minutes | Office visit | 99349 |
58 | More often than most peers in Hospice/Palliative Care |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit with high level of medical decision making, if using time, 40 minutes or more | Office visit | 99215 |
41 | As often as other peers in Hospice/Palliative Care |
| Residence visit for new patient with high level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 75 minutes | Office visit | 99345 |
32 | Too few peers to compare |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit with moderate level of decision making, if using time, 30 minutes or more | Office visit | 99214 |
30 | As often as other peers in Hospice/Palliative Care |
| Residence visit for established patient with low level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 30 minutes | Office visit | 99348 |
28 | As often as other peers in Hospice/Palliative Care |
| Telephone medical discussion with physician, 11-20 minutes | Office visit | 99442 |
25 | As often as other peers in Hospice/Palliative Care |
| Telephone medical discussion with physician, 21-30 minutes | Office visit | 99443 |
16 | Less often than most peers in Hospice/Palliative Care |
Source: CMS Medicare public data. Shows how often procedures were billed — not quality of care or patient satisfaction.
Related providers
Connections drawn from the registry and from what providers have told us. A link here is not a referral or an endorsement.
Also at this address 4
Providers at the same street address. Each files their own registry entry, so a shared practice often appears under several different names.
Other hospice/palliative cares in Palo Alto 3
Same specialty, same city.
Trained at University of Missouri, Kansas City, School of Medicine 8
Other providers in the same specialty who trained at the same institution.
More connections — 7 related providers in 1 group
Class of 1999 at University of Missouri, Kansas City, School of Medicine 7
Providers who graduated from the same medical school in the same year.
Common questions
What is Dr. Lai's specialty?
Dr. Lai is a hospice/palliative care in Palo Alto, CA. That is the designation recorded for this NPI in the federal registry.
NPI registry
Where can I find Dr. Lai?
Dr. Lai is listed at 795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94301. Addresses come from the NPI registry and can lag a move, so confirm before travelling.
NPI registry
How do I contact Dr. Lai?
The number on file is (650) 321-4121. Contact the office directly to confirm availability and scheduling.
NPI registry
What is Dr. Lai's NPI number?
Dr. Lai's National Provider Identifier is 1053377580. It is issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and is unique and permanent — it does not change if they move practice.
NPI registry
What is Dr. Lai's medical education?
Dr. Lai attended University of Missouri, Kansas City, School of Medicine, graduating in 1999. This comes from the CMS National Downloadable File.
CMS public data
How long has Dr. Lai been practicing?
Dr. Lai has 27 years experience. Calculated from a graduation year of 1999, reported in the CMS National Downloadable File.
CMS public data
What is Dr. Lai known for?
According to Medicare billing data, Dr. Lai the Medicare record under this individual NPI shows mainly office visits and diagnostic testing. Hospital-based physicians usually have their procedural work billed by the facility rather than under their own number, so this is a floor on their practice, not a description of it. This reflects Medicare patients only and is billing volume, not a measure of quality.
Medicare claims
Has Dr. Lai confirmed this information?
Not yet. This profile is built from public federal data and has not been confirmed by Dr. Lai. If this is you, claiming it is free.
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Guide.md listings do not constitute medical advice or an endorsement.