Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Melody Kwong, PA-C

Physician Assistant · Murrieta, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
25455 MEDICAL CENTER DR, Murrieta, CA 92562
9518947056
In practice since 2014 (11 years)
NPI: 1114334950 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. Kwong 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. Kwong? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Kwong

Dr. Melody Kwong is a physician assistant in Murrieta, CA, with 11 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kwong performed 499 Medicare services across 275 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kwong received a total of $541 from 8 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 22 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in physician assistant. 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. Kwong 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 24% volume in CA $541 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
499
Medicare services
Top 24% in CA for physician assistant
275
Unique beneficiaries
$127
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~45 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.
126 $4 $23
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.
81 $64 $292
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.
75 $39 $170
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.
37 $322 $1,426
Skin graft repair, 10 sq cm or less
A surgical procedure to repair a wound by transferring a small piece of skin to the affected area. The graft covers wounds on the face, neck, hands, feet, or other specified body parts.
34 $564 $2,502
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.
33 $36 $225
Skin biopsy, tangential
A procedure to remove a sample of the first identified skin growth for laboratory examination.
31 $72 $346
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.
27 $130 $569
Intermediate wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm
A medical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. This type of repair involves cleaning the wound and stitching it closed to promote healing.
14 $233 $1,025
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.
14 $345 $1,573
Skin graft repair, 10 sq cm or less
A surgical procedure to repair a wound on the scalp, arms, or legs by transferring a small piece of skin, 10 square centimeters or less, to the affected area.
14 $527 $2,327
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.
13 $82 $388
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 ↗
$541
Total received (2021-2024)
Avg $180/year across 3 years
Top 39% in CA for physician assistant
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
8
Companies
22
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
$541 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$420
2023
$107
2021
$13

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Amgen Inc.
$105
GENZYME CORPORATION
$86
ABBVIE INC.
$73
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$57
Incyte Corporation
$39
Lilly USA, LLC
$31
Almirall LLC
$29
Top 3 companies account for 63.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2021-2024) ›
GENZYME CORPORATION
$117
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$109
Amgen Inc.
$105
ABBVIE INC.
$73
Incyte Corporation
$39
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$39
Lilly USA, LLC
$31
Almirall LLC
$29
Top 3 companies account for 61.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
COSENTYX · DUPIXENT · OPZELURA · Otezla · SKYRIZI · Seysara · TALTZ
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 physician assistant in Murrieta?
Compare physician assistants in the Murrieta area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Physician assistants within 10 mi
567
Per 100K population
23.1
County median income
$89,672
Nearest hospital
SOUTHWEST HEALTHCARE RANCHO SPRINGS HOSPITAL
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. Kwong is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 24% in CA), 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. Kwong experienced with destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kwong performed 126 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. Kwong receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kwong received a total of $541 from 8 companies across 22 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. Kwong's costs compare to other physician assistants in Murrieta?
Dr. Kwong's average Medicare payment per service is $127. 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. Kwong) 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 →
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 →