Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Elain Tong, D.O.

Pain Medicine · Irvine, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
18 ENDEAVOR STE 304, Irvine, CA 92618
7145568664
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1164610713 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Tong 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 →
Are you Dr. Tong? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Tong

Dr. Elain Tong is a pain medicine specialist in Irvine, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Tong performed 982 Medicare services across 186 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Tong received a total of $21 from 1 pharmaceutical and/or device company across 1 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain 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. Tong 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.

✓ 18 years in practice ▲ Top 42% volume in CA $21 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
982
Medicare services
Top 42% in CA for pain medicine
186
Unique beneficiaries
$69
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~55 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
Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into rib nerve 210 $90 $273
Rib nerve block injection
An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into multiple rib nerves to block pain signals in the chest wall.
 167 $29 $112
Acupuncture, initial 15 minutes
This procedure involves the insertion of needles into specific points on the body for an initial 15-minute session.
 160 $33 $75
Injection of anesthetic or steroid into lower abdomen and groin nerve
An injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid into the nerves located in the lower abdomen and groin area.
 116 $82 $287
Suprascapular nerve injection
An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into the suprascapular nerve in the shoulder area.
 105 $54 $200
Lower back and sciatic nerve injection
An injection of an anesthetic and/or steroid medication into the lower back and sciatic nerve. This procedure delivers medication directly to the nerve site.
 99 $174 $286
Injection of anesthetic or steroid into upper neck and back of head nerve
An injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid into a nerve located in the upper neck and back of the head.
 97 $47 $200
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.
 28 $70 $150
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 ↗
$21
Total received (2024-2024)
Bottom 2% in CA for pain medicine
1
Company
1
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
$21 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$21

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$21
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
QUTENZA
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.

Looking for a pain medicine specialist in Irvine?
Compare pain medicines in the Irvine area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Pain medicines within 10 mi
57
Per 100K population
1.8
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
HOAG ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE
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. Tong is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 18 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. Tong experienced with injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into rib nerve?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Tong performed 210 injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into rib nerve 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. Tong receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Tong received a total of $21 from 1 company across 1 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. Tong's costs compare to other pain medicines in Irvine?
Dr. Tong's average Medicare payment per service is $69. 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. Tong) 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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →