Medicare Enrolled
Dr. James Chen, M.D.
Adult Reconstructive Orthopaedic Surgery Physician · Mission Viejo, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
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. James Chen is an adult reconstructive orthopaedic surgery physician in Mission Viejo, CA, with 11 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chen performed 5,597 Medicare services across 1,690 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chen received a total of $371,773 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 472 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in adult reconstructive orthopaedic surgery physician. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. 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.
✓ 11 years in practice
▲ Top 16% volume in CA
$371,773 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗5,597
Medicare services
Top 16% in CA for adult reconstructive orthopaedic surgery physician
1,690
Unique beneficiaries
$44
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~509 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint lubricant injection (TriVisc) An injection of hyaluronan or a derivative into a joint space. The dose specified is 1 milligram. |
2,950 | $7 | $28 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
610 | $1 | $11 |
| 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. |
333 | $77 | $139 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
292 | $42 | $117 |
| Knee X-ray, 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint that captures three different angles to evaluate the bones and surrounding structures. |
191 | $37 | $101 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
190 | $62 | $244 |
| 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. |
161 | $107 | $208 |
| Hip X-ray, 1 view An X-ray image of the hip joint taken from a single angle to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
119 | $27 | $89 |
| 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. |
117 | $40 | $123 |
| 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. |
98 | $140 | $317 |
| 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. |
92 | $92 | $208 |
| Principal care management for high-risk disease, first 30 minutes This service involves 30 minutes of personal care management by a qualified healthcare professional for a patient with a single high-risk disease, billed per calendar month. |
74 | $68 | $185 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
51 | $46 | $157 |
| Total hip replacement Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components. |
38 | $1,089 | $4,570 |
| Total knee replacement | 35 | $1,086 | $4,770 |
| 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. |
32 | $103 | $500 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
26 | $49 | $93 |
| X-ray of both hips, minimum of 5 views An X-ray imaging test that captures at least five different views of both hip joints to evaluate bone structure and alignment. |
22 | $55 | $168 |
| MRI of leg joint, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of a joint in the leg performed without the use of contrast dye. |
22 | $138 | $1,670 |
| Emergency department visit, moderate complexity An emergency department visit for an established or new patient involving a moderate level of medical decision making. |
22 | $99 | $242 |
| Pelvis X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the pelvic area that captures at least three different views to evaluate the bones and joints. |
18 | $36 | $117 |
| Pelvis X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the pelvic area using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
17 | $26 | $76 |
| X-ray of shoulder blade An X-ray image of the shoulder blade (scapula) to visualize its structure and check for abnormalities. |
16 | $21 | $83 |
| 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. |
16 | $30 | $88 |
| Computer-assisted surgical navigation Use of computer technology and fluoroscopic imaging to guide orthopedic surgical procedures with precision. |
15 | $87 | $1,200 |
| X-ray of thigh bone, minimum 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the thigh bone using at least two different angles to visualize the bone structure. |
15 | $29 | $96 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
13 | $78 | $121 |
| Revision of thigh and lower leg bone components of total knee joint prosthesis This procedure involves replacing the bone components of a total knee replacement that connect to the thigh and lower leg bones. It is performed to update or fix parts of the existing knee joint prosthesis. |
12 | $1,448 | $5,481 |
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.
1.3% high complexity
68.0% medium
30.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$371,773
Total received (2021-2024)
Avg $92,943/year across 4 years
Top 12% in CA for adult reconstructive orthopaedic surgery physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
14
Companies
472
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.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$267,072 (71.8%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$101,887 (27.4%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,814 (0.8%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$136,521
2023
$174,844
2022
$59,047
2021
$1,362
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$101,887
ORTHALIGN INC
$34,244
Stryker Corporation
$355
HERAEUS MEDICAL, LLC.
$19
Cranial Technologies, Inc
$16
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2021-2024) ›
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$268,840
ORTHALIGN INC
$100,119
Stryker Corporation
$1,255
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$348
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$274
Engage Uni, LLC
$201
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$186
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$164
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$125
Heraeus Medical, LLC.
$99
UOC USA INC
$96
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$31
HERAEUS MEDICAL, LLC.
$19
Cranial Technologies, Inc
$16
Top 3 companies account for 99.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTIS · AEQUALIS PERFORM REVERSED · ATTUNE · AXSOS · Avenir · Conformity · Doc Band · Engage Partial Knee System · GAMMA · GMK SPHERE · HOFFMANN · JOURNEY II · MAKO · NA · Nalu Neurostimulation System · ORTHALIGN PLUS · PALACOS · PICO · Persona · ROSA · SIGMA · STRYKER ADAPT · TRITANIUM · U-Motion II · U2 · VARIAX · Vemlidy · mymobility Platform
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 →
The majority of payments (72%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Geographic Context
Adult reconstructive orthopaedic surgery physicians within 10 mi
14
Per 100K population
0.4
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
PROVIDENCE MISSION HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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. Chen is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% in CA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 12% 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 joint lubricant injection (trivisc)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chen performed 2,950 joint lubricant injection (trivisc) 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 $371,773 from 14 companies across 472 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 adult reconstructive orthopaedic surgery physicians in Mission Viejo?
Dr. Chen's average Medicare payment per service is $44. 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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Pharma Payments to Adult Reconstructive Orthopaedic Surgery Physicians in CA
Which CA adult reconstructive orthopaedic surgery physicians receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. Payments to Doctors
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By company
ORTHALIGN INC Payments to Doctors
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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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