Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Steven Chen, M.D.
Family Medicine · Bakersfield, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Chen 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. Chen
Dr. Steven Chen is a family medicine specialist in Bakersfield, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chen performed 2,548 Medicare services across 1,538 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chen received a total of $5,643 from 36 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 281 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Chen 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 7% volume in CA
$5,643 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,548
Medicare services
Top 7% in CA for family medicine
1,538
Unique beneficiaries
$48
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~134 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
525 | $95 | $176 |
| 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. |
362 | $67 | $124 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
359 | $8 | $20 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
166 | $3 | $10 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
140 | $1 | $8 |
| Hearing test for various pitches A hearing test that measures the ability to hear different sound frequencies using earphones. |
114 | $26 | $40 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It allows healthcare providers to examine the structure and blood flow within these arteries. |
113 | $60 | $146 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
111 | $136 | $180 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
98 | $10 | $50 |
| Ceftriaxone antibiotic injection This code represents the administration of ceftriaxone sodium, an antibiotic medication. The charge is calculated for every 250 mg of the drug administered. |
88 | $0 | $19 |
| 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. |
72 | $11 | $30 |
| Annual depression screening | 68 | $20 | $45 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
58 | $32 | $40 |
| 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. |
56 | $72 | $80 |
| Chest X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the chest that captures two different angles to visualize the lungs, heart, and chest wall. |
52 | $27 | $100 |
| Annual intensive behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease, 15 minutes A yearly, in-person session focused on intensive behavioral therapy to help manage cardiovascular disease. The session lasts for 15 minutes and is conducted with the patient individually. |
51 | $27 | $52 |
| Expiratory airflow and volume test A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed at which you can breathe it out. It evaluates lung function by assessing expiratory airflow and volume. |
31 | $19 | $70 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
27 | $46 | $113 |
| Annual wellness visit, initial visit A yearly appointment to review your health and create a personalized prevention plan. This initial visit focuses on preventive care and health assessment. |
26 | $173 | $250 |
| Office visit for established patient An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present. |
20 | $19 | $50 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
11 | $32 | $40 |
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.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$5,643
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $806/year across 7 years
Top 7% in CA for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
36
Companies
281
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.
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$5,643 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$864
2023
$827
2022
$1,306
2021
$193
2020
$635
2019
$956
2018
$861
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Lilly USA, LLC
$257
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$201
Amgen Inc.
$180
Novo Nordisk Inc
$47
PFIZER INC.
$42
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$31
SHIELD THERAPEUTICS INC
$30
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$21
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$21
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
Abbott Laboratories
$17
Top 3 companies account for 73.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novo Nordisk Inc
$742
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$643
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$631
Lilly USA, LLC
$545
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$272
Amgen Inc.
$269
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$201
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$200
AbbVie Inc.
$182
PFIZER INC.
$176
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$174
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$167
ABBVIE INC.
$155
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$128
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$123
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$122
Phadia US Inc.
$93
AbbVie, Inc.
$83
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$76
Allergan, Inc.
$67
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$56
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$55
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$54
Coloplast Corp
$54
Abbott Laboratories
$54
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$53
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$51
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$41
Genentech USA, Inc.
$34
Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
$33
SHIELD THERAPEUTICS INC
$30
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$21
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$15
West Therapeutics Development, LLC
$14
TherapeuticsMD, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 35.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCRUFER · AIRSUPRA · AJOVY · AREXVY · Aimovig · Altis · BEXSERO · BREZTRI · COLOGUARD · CREON · Creon · Da Vinci Surgical System · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · FARXIGA · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · FreeStyle Libre blood glucose Flash Monitoring System · HETLIOZ · IMVEXXY · INJECTAFER · INVOKANA · ImmunoCAP · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · KRYSTEXXA · Kerendia · LINZESS · Lazanda · Linzess · Livalo · MENACTRA · MOUNJARO · NURTEC ODT · Otezla · Ozempic · PNEUMOVAX 23 · PREVNAR - 13 · PREVNAR 13 · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · Repatha · Rybelsus · TRADJENTA · TRULICITY · Tresiba · UBRELVY · VOQUEZNA · Vascepa · Veozah · Victoza · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · Xofluza · ZEPBOUND
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 →
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for family medicine in CA.
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
169
Per 100K population
18.6
County median income
$67,660
Nearest hospital
BAKERSFIELD BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE HOSPITAL, LLC
14.3 mi
14.3 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. Chen is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 7% of CA peers, with 19 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. Chen experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chen performed 525 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Chen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Chen received a total of $5,643 from 36 companies across 281 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. Chen's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Bakersfield?
Dr. Chen's average Medicare payment per service is $48. 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. Chen) 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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