Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Veena Charu, M.D.
Optician · Anaheim, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating.
This page presents federal public records about Dr. Charu from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Charu
Dr. Veena Charu is an optician specialist in Anaheim, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Charu performed 71,966 Medicare services across 3,495 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Charu received a total of $53,446 from 87 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 587 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Charu is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 2% volume in CA
$53,446 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗71,966
Medicare services
Top 2% in CA for optician
3,495
Unique beneficiaries
$10
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~3,598 Medicare services per year of practice
Top procedures by volume
Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron infusion (Feraheme) An injection of ferumoxytol used to treat iron deficiency anemia in patients not on dialysis. |
48,960 | $0 | $5 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 9,420 | $18 | $50 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
2,035 | $107 | $200 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
1,960 | $8 | $45 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
1,880 | $8 | $10 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
1,536 | $0 | $5 |
| Epoetin alfa injection (Procrit) for anemia An injection of epoetin alfa containing 1000 units for use in patients not on end-stage renal disease (ESRD) dialysis. |
815 | $6 | $25 |
| Advance care planning consultation, first 30 min A session focused on discussing and documenting future healthcare preferences and goals. This service covers the initial 30 minutes of the planning discussion. |
659 | $68 | $150 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
590 | $13 | $40 |
| Epoetin alfa injection (Retacrit) for anemia An injection of a biosimilar form of epoetin alfa used for non-end-stage renal disease purposes. The dose administered is 1000 units. |
553 | $6 | $15 |
| Additional sequential IV infusion, 1 hour or less This code represents an additional intravenous infusion administered sequentially to a primary infusion. It covers the administration time of one hour or less. |
397 | $27 | $60 |
| Unclassified drug A medication that does not fit into standard HCPCS or CPT classification categories. |
298 | $0 | $30 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
295 | $151 | $261 |
| Vitamin B-12 injection An injection of vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin) with a dose of up to 1000 mcg. |
285 | $1 | $20 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
238 | $59 | $150 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone. |
214 | $106 | $185 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
198 | $79 | $150 |
| Diphenhydramine injection, up to 50 mg An injection of diphenhydramine hydrochloride, an antihistamine medication, administered in a dose of up to 50 milligrams. |
184 | $1 | $7 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
170 | $48 | $82 |
| Chronic care management, first 20 min/month This service covers the first 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional each calendar month to manage chronic conditions. |
168 | $47 | $91 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
136 | $123 | $400 |
| Zoledronic acid injection, 1 mg An injection of zoledronic acid administered at a dose of 1 mg. |
105 | $7 | $350 |
| Intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance Administration of an additional new medication or substance directly into a vein. |
94 | $14 | $40 |
| Normal saline infusion, 500 ml Administration of sterile normal saline solution through an intravenous line. This procedure involves the infusion of a 500 ml unit of the solution. |
90 | $1 | $20 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
83 | $102 | $150 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 82 | $184 | $382 |
| Additional hour of intravenous infusion This code represents each additional hour of intravenous infusion beyond the initial hour for therapy, prevention, or diagnosis. |
81 | $19 | $32 |
| Intravenous hydration infusion, 31-60 minutes Administration of fluids into a vein to maintain hydration. This procedure involves an infusion lasting between 31 and 60 minutes. |
77 | $30 | $80 |
| Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period. |
74 | $26 | $80 |
| Additional hour of intravenous hydration This code represents each additional hour of intravenous fluid administration beyond the initial hour. It is used to bill for extended hydration therapy. |
61 | $12 | $30 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
45 | $78 | $131 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
42 | $72 | $80 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
41 | $34 | $35 |
| Office visit for established patient An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present. |
39 | $21 | $75 |
| Prolonged office E/M service, first 15 minutes This code is used for additional time spent by a physician beyond the maximum required time of a primary office or outpatient evaluation and management service. It is billed in 15-minute increments based on total time spent on the date of the primary service. |
33 | $27 | $46 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
28 | $149 | $275 |
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
69.4% high complexity
19.0% medium
11.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$53,446
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $7,635/year across 7 years
Top 5% in CA for optician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
87
Companies
587
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$37,214 (69.6%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$11,449 (21.4%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$4,782 (8.9%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,687
2023
$9,896
2022
$3,424
2021
$5,381
2020
$9,768
2019
$1,402
2018
$21,889
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$226
Incyte Corporation
$159
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$119
PFIZER INC.
$114
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$111
Eisai Inc.
$87
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$59
Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.
$55
Verity Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$54
ABBVIE INC.
$52
Celgene Corporation
$50
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$46
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$45
Coherus Biosciences Inc.
$44
SOBI, INC
$42
BeiGene USA, Inc.
$39
EMD Serono, Inc.
$39
Exelixis Inc.
$34
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$34
ADC Therapeutics America, Inc.
$32
Genentech USA, Inc.
$24
Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.
$24
PharmaEssentia USA Corporation
$23
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$21
GENZYME CORPORATION
$21
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$20
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$20
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$17
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$16
ARRAY BIOPHARMA INC
$9
Top 3 companies account for 29.9% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Celgene Corporation
$9,172
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$7,863
Genentech, Inc.
$5,572
PFIZER INC.
$5,413
Exelixis Inc.
$3,834
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$3,355
GENZYME CORPORATION
$2,051
Kite Pharma, Inc.
$1,756
Pharmacyclics LLC, An AbbVie Company
$1,695
BeiGene USA, Inc.
$1,492
AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,422
Amgen Inc.
$1,173
Athenex Pharmaceutical Division, LLC
$1,000
Incyte Corporation
$919
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$706
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$526
Genentech USA, Inc.
$340
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$309
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$288
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$246
AbbVie, Inc.
$205
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$198
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$196
EISAI INC.
$194
EMD Serono, Inc.
$180
Eisai Inc.
$166
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$162
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$142
Lilly USA, LLC
$139
Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.
$137
Seagen Inc.
$118
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$118
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$114
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$100
Verity Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$99
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$93
ARRAY BIOPHARMA INC
$91
Coherus Biosciences Inc.
$89
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$89
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$84
SOBI, INC
$82
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$80
Myovant Sciences Inc.
$75
Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.
$72
Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc.
$63
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$54
ABBVIE INC.
$52
MEDIVATION FIELD SOLUTIONS LLC
$50
Foundation Medicine, Inc.
$49
MorphoSys, US Inc.
$46
Puma Biotechnology, Inc.
$43
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$42
Acrotech Biopharma LLC
$41
Organon LLC
$41
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$40
Sobi, Inc
$40
PharmaEssentia USA Corporation
$39
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$37
TAIHO ONCOLOGY, INC.
$36
PUMA BIOTECHNOLOGY, INC.
$34
ADC Therapeutics America, Inc.
$32
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$32
Taiho Oncology, Inc.
$32
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$30
Aveo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$28
Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company
$27
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$26
Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc.
$25
Mylan Institutional Inc.
$25
Seattle Genetics, Inc.
$25
Blueprint Medicines Corporation
$24
TESARO, Inc.
$24
Array BioPharma Inc.
$23
Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC
$23
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$20
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$20
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$20
APO-PHARMA USA, INC.
$19
ImmunoGen, Inc.
$18
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$17
Epizyme, Inc.,
$17
TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$14
Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
$14
Dova Pharmaceuticals
$11
Secura Bio, Inc.
$8
Top 3 companies account for 42.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ABECMA · ADCETRIS · AKYNZEO · AYVAKIT · Alecensa · Avastin · BELEODAQ · BESREMI · BOSULIF · BRAFTOVI · BRUKINSA · Bavencio · Braftovi · CABOMETYX · CALQUENCE · CYRAMZA · Cabometyx · Columvi · DARZALEX · DEFERIPRONE · DOPTELET · Doptelet · ELIGARD · ELIQUIS · ELITEK · ELREXFIO · ELZONRIS · EMPLICITI · ENHERTU · EPKINLY · ERLEADA · EVENITY · Elahere · Enhertu · Erivedge · FARYDAK · FERAHEME · FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE · FORTEO · FOTIVDA · FOUNDATIONONE · FRUZAQLA · Folotyn · GAUCHER-DISEASE · GILOTRIF · IBRANCE · IMBRUVICA · IMFINZI · INJECTAFER · INLYTA · INREBIC · Imbruvica · JAKAFI · JEMPERLI · JEVTANA · KANJINTI · KEYTRUDA · KRAZATI · Kyprolis · LIBTAYO · LONSURF · LUMAKRAS · LYNPARZA · Lenvima · MONJUVI · MVASI · MYLOTARG · MYRISK · NERLYNX · NINLARO · Nerlynx · Neulasta · Nplate · Nubeqa · OJJAARA · ONTRUZANT · ONUREG · OPDIVO · OPDUALAG · ORGOVYX · OXBRYTA · Orserdu · PADCEV · PEMAZYRE · PLUVICTO · PYRUKYND · Padcev · Perjeta · Pomalyst · Prolia · QINLOCK · REBLOZYL · ROLVEDON · RYBREVANT · Revlimid · Rezlidhia · SANCUSO · SARCLISA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SOMATULINE DEPOT · SPRYCEL · SUTENT · Somatuline Depot · Stivarga · TAGRISSO · TAZVERIK · TECENTRIQ · TECVAYLI · TEPMETKO · TIBSOVO · TIVDAK · Tavalisse · Tecartus · Tecentriq · Trelstar · Trodelvy · Udenyca · VERZENIO · VYXEOS · Vectibix · Vemlidy · Venclexta · XALKORI · XARELTO · XPOVIO · XTANDI · Xermelo · Xospata · ZEJULA · ZEPZELCA · ZOLADEX · ZYTIGA · inCourage
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →
The majority of payments (70%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 5% for optician in CA.
Geographic Context
Opticians within 10 mi
1,352
Per 100K population
42.7
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
AHMC ANAHEIM REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Charu is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 2% in CA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 5% of CA peers, with 20 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Charu experienced with iron infusion (feraheme)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Charu performed 48,960 iron infusion (feraheme) services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Charu receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Charu received a total of $53,446 from 87 companies across 587 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Charu's costs compare to other opticians in Anaheim?
Dr. Charu's average Medicare payment per service is $10. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Charu) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.
This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. Data Coverage reflects data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.
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