Dr. Howard Cheng, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Cheng
Dr. Howard Cheng is a hematology & oncology specialist in Laguna Hills, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cheng performed 34,770 Medicare services across 1,588 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cheng received a total of $4,449 from 36 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 209 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in hematology & oncology. 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. Cheng 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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. |
23,460 | $0 | $4 |
| 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. |
4,400 | $6 | $25 |
| 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. |
1,710 | $8 | $53 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
1,476 | $8 | $18 |
| 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. |
979 | $101 | $207 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
948 | $0 | $5 |
| 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. |
531 | $149 | $306 |
| 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. |
382 | $12 | $48 |
| Non-hormonal chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy medication via injection into the skin or muscle tissue. |
225 | $67 | $148 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
189 | $119 | $502 |
| 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. |
183 | $26 | $100 |
| 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. |
109 | $59 | $178 |
| 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. |
71 | $93 | $270 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 50 | $179 | $374 |
| 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. |
24 | $132 | $320 |
| Irrigation of implanted venous access device This procedure involves flushing an implanted venous access device to clear blockages or maintain patency. It ensures the device remains functional for delivering medications or fluids. |
22 | $22 | $100 |
| 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. |
11 | $72 | $171 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (89%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
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. Cheng is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Cheng experienced with iron infusion (feraheme)?
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How do Dr. Cheng's costs compare to other hematology & oncology specialists in Laguna Hills?
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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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