Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Christina Chen, DO
Rheumatology · Covina, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
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. Christina Chen is a rheumatology specialist in Covina, CA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chen performed 4,673 Medicare services across 1,088 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chen received a total of $28,402 from 64 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1454 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. 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.
✓ 13 years in practice
▲ Top 27% volume in CA
$28,402 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗4,673
Medicare services
Top 27% in CA for rheumatology
1,088
Unique beneficiaries
$32
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~359 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 2,546 | $18 | $54 |
| 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. |
460 | $105 | $250 |
| Autoimmune disorder antibody test A laboratory test that measures antibodies in the blood to help assess for autoimmune disorders. |
225 | $18 | $50 |
| Non-hormonal chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy medication via injection into the skin or muscle tissue. |
154 | $67 | $260 |
| Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period. |
151 | $26 | $300 |
| 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. |
109 | $12 | $60 |
| Normal saline infusion, 250 cc Administration of 250 cubic centimeters of normal saline solution into a vein. This procedure involves the intravenous delivery of a sterile saltwater fluid. |
93 | $0 | $44 |
| Immunoassay substance analysis, multiple step method A laboratory test that uses an immunoassay technique to analyze a substance. The process involves multiple steps to detect or measure the target material. |
82 | $11 | $23 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
80 | $116 | $600 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
73 | $1 | $10 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
47 | $54 | $195 |
| 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. |
46 | $142 | $380 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis antibody test A blood test to measure antibodies used in assessing rheumatoid arthritis. |
42 | $13 | $25 |
| Rheumatoid factor level | 42 | $6 | $15 |
| X-ray of hand, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
40 | $26 | $90 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) A test that uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone mineral density in the hip, pelvis, and spine. It helps assess bone strength and risk of fractures. |
40 | $45 | $240 |
| 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. |
38 | $79 | $165 |
| Intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance Administration of an additional new medication or substance directly into a vein. |
36 | $14 | $300 |
| DNA antibody test (native or double-stranded) A blood test that measures the level of antibodies targeting native or double-stranded DNA. This test is used to detect the presence of these specific antibodies in the body. |
34 | $13 | $45 |
| Measurement of dna antibody, single stranded | 34 | $12 | $35 |
| Microsomal antibody test A blood test that measures the level of microsomal antibodies, which are autoantibodies produced by the immune system. |
34 | $14 | $60 |
| Thyroglobulin antibody blood test A blood test that measures the level of antibodies against thyroglobulin, a protein produced by the thyroid gland. |
34 | $16 | $60 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 29 | $6 | $15 |
| Knee X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
27 | $32 | $90 |
| Hip X-ray, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hip joint using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
25 | $44 | $120 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
22 | $5 | $15 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
21 | $83 | $300 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
21 | $33 | $90 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
19 | $38 | $120 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
17 | $44 | $150 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
16 | $29 | $80 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints. |
13 | $31 | $90 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
12 | $34 | $90 |
| Tuberculosis blood test (gamma interferon) A blood test that measures the immune system's response to tuberculosis bacteria using gamma interferon levels. |
11 | $61 | $240 |
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.
3.7% high complexity
68.6% medium
27.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$28,402
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $4,057/year across 7 years
Top 14% in CA for rheumatology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
64
Companies
1,454
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
$28,205 (99.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$197 (0.7%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$4,756
2023
$2,746
2022
$4,488
2021
$5,126
2020
$3,643
2019
$4,795
2018
$2,847
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Amgen Inc.
$756
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$636
ABBVIE INC.
$544
UCB, Inc.
$496
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$362
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$262
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$247
ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$236
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$187
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$165
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$121
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$118
Lilly USA, LLC
$116
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$98
Radius Health, Inc.
$88
Organon Llc
$60
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$53
PFIZER INC.
$49
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$49
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$44
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$27
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$21
Novo Nordisk Inc
$20
Top 3 companies account for 40.7% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Amgen Inc.
$3,536
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$2,874
UCB, Inc.
$1,855
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$1,767
AbbVie Inc.
$1,619
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,611
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$1,424
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,276
PFIZER INC.
$1,177
ABBVIE INC.
$1,172
Lilly USA, LLC
$1,149
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$964
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$856
AbbVie, Inc.
$726
Radius Health, Inc.
$645
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$626
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$512
Genentech USA, Inc.
$455
Celgene Corporation
$433
GENZYME CORPORATION
$419
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$377
ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$255
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$207
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$151
Sobi, Inc
$136
MEDEXUS PHARMA, INC.
$136
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$134
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$124
Avion Pharmaceuticals
$112
MEDAC PHARMA, INC.
$112
Organon LLC
$105
Novo Nordisk Inc
$98
Exeltis, USA Inc.
$89
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$88
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$78
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$75
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$69
Horizon Pharma plc
$66
Organon Llc
$60
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$56
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$54
IMPEL PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$53
Medtronic, Inc.
$53
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$49
Bioventus LLC
$47
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$44
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$44
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$41
West-Ward Pharmaceuticals
$40
Celltrion USA Inc.
$37
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$34
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$33
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$32
Iroko Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$30
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$26
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$24
ASCEND Therapeutics US, LLC
$23
Assertio Therapeutics, Inc.
$23
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$21
Zyla Life Sciences, Inc.
$17
Oxford Immunotec USA Inc
$16
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$15
Octapharma USA, Inc.
$14
Egalet US Inc
$11
Top 3 companies account for 29.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · AJOVY · AVSOLA · Actemra · Aimovig · Arcalyst · BENLYSTA · BINOSTO · Balcoltra · Bimzelx · CONTRAVE · COSENTYX · CYLTEZO · Cimzia · Crysvita · Durolane · EMGALITY · EVENITY · EVUSHELD · Enbrel · FORTEO · Gralise · HADLIMA · HUMIRA · Horizant · Humira · ILARIS · INFLECTRA · KEVZARA · KINERET · KRYSTEXXA · Kineret · LUPKYNIS · LYRICA · MONOVISC · Mitigare · NEXPLANON · NUCALA · NURTEC ODT · Neupro · OCTAGAM IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HUMAN) · OFEV · OLUMIANT · ORENCIA · Otezla · Otrexup · PANZYGA · PENNSAID · PURIFIED CORTROPHIN GEL · Prolia · QULIPTA · RAYOS · REDITREX · REMICADE · RENFLEXIS · REYVOW · RINVOQ · Rasuvo · Repatha · Rinvoq · Rituxan · SAPHNELO · SIMPONI ARIA · SKYRIZI · SOLIRIS · SPRIX · STELARA · STRENSIQ · SYNVISC-ONE · Seglentis · Soliris · Strensiq · T-SPOT.TB8 · TALTZ · TREMFYA · Tavneos · Trudhesa · Tymlos · UBRELVY · ULTOMIRIS · VANTA ADAPTIVESTIM · VIVLODEX · Wegovy · XELJANZ · YUFLYMA · ZTLido · Zilretta
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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Rheumatologists within 10 mi
108
Per 100K population
1.1
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
EMANATE HEALTH INTER-COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
1.4 mi
1.4 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. Chen is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 27% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 14% of CA peers.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Chen experienced with denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chen performed 2,546 denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva) 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 $28,402 from 64 companies across 1,454 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 rheumatologists in Covina?
Dr. Chen's average Medicare payment per service is $32. 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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