Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Zhe Hou, MD
MOHS-Micrographic Surgery Physician · Brea, 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. Hou 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. Hou
Dr. Zhe Hou is a mohs-micrographic surgery physician in Brea, CA, with 12 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hou performed 2,857 Medicare services across 1,595 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hou received a total of $7,289 from 31 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 267 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in mohs-micrographic surgery physician. 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. Hou 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.
✓ 12 years in practice
▲ 2,857 Medicare services
$7,289 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,857
Medicare services
Bottom 45% in CA for mohs-micrographic surgery physician
1,595
Unique beneficiaries
$111
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~238 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14 This procedure involves the removal or destruction of two to fourteen precancerous skin lesions. It is performed to eliminate abnormal skin cells that have the potential to develop into cancer. |
971 | $6 | $14 |
| 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. |
365 | $66 | $176 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1 Removal of a single precancerous skin growth. This procedure destroys abnormal skin cells to prevent them from developing into cancer. |
201 | $42 | $137 |
| Skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks This procedure involves the removal of a growth from the head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. The removed tissue is then examined under a microscope in the laboratory. |
184 | $487 | $1,308 |
| Destruction of skin growths (warts/lesions), 1-14 This procedure involves the removal or destruction of one to fourteen skin growths. It is a minor surgical intervention performed on the skin surface. |
138 | $91 | $227 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
131 | $73 | $207 |
| Skin biopsy, tangential A procedure to remove a sample of the first identified skin growth for laboratory examination. |
129 | $73 | $208 |
| Removal and microscopic exam of growth of head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals, each additional stage, 1-5 tissue blocks | 102 | $352 | $750 |
| 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. |
73 | $95 | $240 |
| Destruction of 15 or more precancerous skin growths This procedure involves the removal or destruction of fifteen or more precancerous skin lesions. It is performed to treat abnormal skin cells that have the potential to develop into cancer. |
67 | $141 | $354 |
| Complicated wound repair, scalp/arms/legs, 2.6-7.5 cm A complex surgical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters in length. |
64 | $236 | $778 |
| Complicated wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm A complex surgical procedure to close a wound measuring between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters on areas such as the face, neck, hands, or feet. |
63 | $216 | $870 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
60 | $112 | $306 |
| Skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks A procedure to remove a growth from the trunk, arms, or legs and send 1 to 5 tissue samples to a laboratory for microscopic examination. |
57 | $481 | $1,208 |
| Additional skin growth biopsy Removal of a sample of an additional skin growth for laboratory examination. This code is used for each extra lesion biopsied during the same session. |
42 | $43 | $106 |
| Complex wound repair, 1.1-2.5 cm A surgical procedure to close a complex wound measuring between 1.1 and 2.5 centimeters on areas such as the face, neck, hands, or feet. |
37 | $165 | $641 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
32 | $1 | $3 |
| Skin graft repair of eyelid, nose, ear, or lip, 10 sq cm or less A surgical procedure to repair a wound on the eyelid, nose, ear, or lip by transferring a small piece of skin. The transferred skin covers an area of 10 square centimeters or less. |
27 | $627 | $1,439 |
| Additional Mohs surgery stage with microscopic exam This procedure involves the removal and microscopic examination of an additional stage of tissue from the trunk, arms, or legs. It is performed in stages to ensure complete removal of the growth. |
23 | $336 | $681 |
| Injection into skin growths, 1-7 A procedure involving the injection of medication into one to seven skin growths. |
22 | $30 | $114 |
| Surgical removal of skin cancer, 2.1-3.0 cm This procedure involves the surgical excision of a cancerous skin growth located on the body, arms, or legs. The size of the removed tissue measures between 2.1 and 3.0 centimeters. |
19 | $123 | $525 |
| 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. |
19 | $40 | $120 |
| Punch biopsy of first skin growth A small, circular piece of skin is removed from a skin growth using a circular blade. The sample is then sent to a laboratory for examination. |
17 | $106 | $279 |
| Complicated wound repair of trunk, 2.6-7.5 cm A surgical procedure to close a complex wound on the trunk that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters in length. |
14 | $289 | $777 |
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.
0.8% high complexity
8.5% medium
90.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$7,289
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $1,215/year across 6 years
Top 22% in CA for mohs-micrographic surgery physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
31
Companies
267
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
$5,613 (77.0%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$1,499 (20.6%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$177 (2.4%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,159
2023
$905
2022
$2,051
2021
$1,669
2020
$1,158
2019
$347
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
GENZYME CORPORATION
$390
ABBVIE INC.
$238
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$153
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$73
Incyte Corporation
$63
LEO Pharma Inc.
$57
PFIZER INC.
$37
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$36
MERZ NORTH AMERICA, INC.
$23
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$21
Lilly USA, LLC
$20
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$18
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$17
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 67.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2019-2024) ›
GENZYME CORPORATION
$2,351
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$633
ABBVIE INC.
$600
LEO Pharma Inc.
$431
Almirall LLC
$400
PFIZER INC.
$349
Incyte Corporation
$273
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$263
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$235
AbbVie Inc.
$233
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$214
Amgen Inc.
$206
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$205
Allergan Inc.
$144
Ortho Dermatologics, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$111
AbbVie, Inc.
$80
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$73
Biofrontera Inc.
$71
Lilly USA, LLC
$64
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$60
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$51
DERMIRA, INC.
$44
Allergan, Inc.
$41
UCB, Inc.
$26
MERZ NORTH AMERICA, INC.
$23
MAYNE PHARMA INC.
$22
Misonix Inc
$20
VYNE Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
Journey Medical Corporation
$18
EPI Health, LLC
$15
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 49.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ABSORICA LD · ADBRY · AKLIEF · AMZEEQ · Absorica LD · Ameluz · BF-RhodoLED · BOTOX COSMETIC · CIBINQO · COSENTYX · Cimzia · DORYX · DUOBRII · DUPIXENT · EFUDEX · ENSTILAR · EUCRISA · Humira · Ilumya · JUBLIA · LIBTAYO · OLUMIANT · OPZELURA · ORACEA · Odomzo · Otezla · QBREXZA · REMICADE · RINVOQ · SEYSARA · SKYRIZI · Sotyktu · TALTZ · TREMFYA · VTAMA · WYNZORA · Xeomin · Zoryve
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 (77%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Mohs-micrographic surgery physicians within 10 mi
34
Per 100K population
1.1
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
UCI HEALTH - PLACENTIA LINDA
3.4 mi
3.4 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. Hou is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Hou experienced with destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hou performed 971 destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14 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. Hou receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hou received a total of $7,289 from 31 companies across 267 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. Hou's costs compare to other mohs-micrographic surgery physicians in Brea?
Dr. Hou's average Medicare payment per service is $111. 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. Hou) 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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