Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Irene Tong, M.D.

Rheumatology · Pasadena, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
2750 E WASHINGTON BLVD, Pasadena, CA 91107
6262962910
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1962439299 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. Irene Tong is a rheumatology specialist in Pasadena, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Tong performed 5,485 Medicare services across 481 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Tong received a total of $10,986 from 43 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 528 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. 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 27% volume in CA $10,986 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
5,485
Medicare services
Top 27% in CA for rheumatology
481
Unique beneficiaries
$35
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~289 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) 4,260 $18 $35
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.
757 $106 $270
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.
200 $12 $64
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.
156 $149 $364
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.
69 $57 $270
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 28 $177 $521
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.
15 $146 $415
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
81.3% medium
17.4% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$10,986
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,197/year across 5 years
Top 26% in CA for rheumatology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
43
Companies
528
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
$10,746 (97.8%)
Scientific / Research
Research funding and grants
$240 (2.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$2,944
2022
$277
2020
$820
2019
$3,238
2018
$3,708

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Amgen Inc.
$521
ABBVIE INC.
$402
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$328
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$324
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$195
UCB, Inc.
$157
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$141
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$136
PFIZER INC.
$133
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$89
Radius Health, Inc.
$88
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$78
Lilly USA, LLC
$69
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$60
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$44
SOBI, INC
$41
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$41
Genentech USA, Inc.
$39
Sandoz Inc.
$30
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$27
Top 3 companies account for 42.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Amgen Inc.
$1,374
PFIZER INC.
$1,102
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$772
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$690
AbbVie, Inc.
$675
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$664
ABBVIE INC.
$641
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$468
Genentech USA, Inc.
$467
Radius Health, Inc.
$383
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$357
Lilly USA, LLC
$336
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$280
Horizon Pharma plc
$261
Celgene Corporation
$240
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$226
UCB, Inc.
$214
Mallinckrodt LLC
$181
AbbVie Inc.
$159
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$138
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$136
MEDAC PHARMA, INC.
$131
MEDEXUS PHARMA, INC.
$130
GENZYME CORPORATION
$99
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$89
Zyla Life Sciences
$84
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$78
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$76
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$67
Iroko Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$62
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$60
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$44
Bioventus LLC
$42
SOBI, INC
$41
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$41
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$31
Sandoz Inc.
$30
Zyla Life Sciences, Inc.
$29
Boston Scientific Corporation
$24
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$16
West-Ward Pharmaceuticals
$13
Kaleo, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 29.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · Actemra · Arcalyst · BENLYSTA · Bimzelx · COSENTYX · CRYSVITA · Cimzia · DUEXIS · Durolane · EVENITY · Enbrel · Evzio · FORTEO · HYRIMOZ · Humira · IDACIO · INFLECTRA · KEVZARA · KINERET · KRYSTEXXA · LUPKYNIS · LYRICA · Mitigare · NUCALA · OCALIVA · OCTAGAM IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HUMAN) · OFEV · ORENCIA · Otezla · PENNSAID · Prolia · RAYOS · REMICADE · RENFLEXIS · RINVOQ · Rasuvo · Rinvoq · Rituxan · SAPHNELO · SIMPONI · SIMPONI ARIA · SPRIX · STELARA · STRENSIQ · SUPERION · Strensiq · TALTZ · TAVNEOS · TREMFYA · Tymlos · Uloric · VIMOVO · VIVLODEX · XELJANZ · ZORVOLEX · ZTLido
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 (98%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for a rheumatology specialist in Pasadena?
Compare rheumatologists in the Pasadena area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse rheumatologists nearby

Geographic Context

Rheumatologists within 10 mi
182
Per 100K population
1.8
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
AURORA LAS ENCINAS
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 clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 27% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 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 denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Tong performed 4,260 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. Tong receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Tong received a total of $10,986 from 43 companies across 528 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 rheumatologists in Pasadena?
Dr. Tong's average Medicare payment per service is $35. 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 →
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 →