Dr. George Cheng, MD PHD
What this data tells you about Dr. Cheng
Dr. George Cheng is a pulmonary disease specialist in San Diego, CA, with 16 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cheng performed 912 Medicare services across 763 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cheng received a total of $222,652 from 27 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 369 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pulmonary disease. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
160 | $98 | $355 |
| Bronchial secretion aspiration via endoscope Removal of initial lung airway secretions using an endoscope. This procedure involves inserting a scope into the airways to clear fluid or mucus. |
139 | $48 | $1,082 |
| Bronchial irrigation and suction for cell collection This procedure uses an endoscope to flush and suction the lung airways in order to collect cells for testing. |
95 | $6 | $1,126 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
66 | $141 | $688 |
| Bronchoscopy with ultrasound and growth treatment A procedure using a flexible tube with a camera and ultrasound to examine the lung airways and treat any growths found. |
51 | $53 | $491 |
| Endoscopic needle biopsy of windpipe, airway, or lung A procedure where a needle is inserted through an endoscope to collect tissue samples from the windpipe, airway, or lung. |
48 | $135 | $2,247 |
| Computer-assisted navigation of lung airways This procedure uses computer technology to guide an endoscope through the airways of the lungs for precise navigation. |
44 | $76 | $4,601 |
| 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. |
41 | $69 | $332 |
| Bronchoscopy with ultrasound and lymph node sampling A procedure using an endoscope and ultrasound to examine the lung airways and collect samples from 1 to 2 lymph nodes. |
40 | $131 | $3,158 |
| Bronchoscopy A procedure to examine the airways inside the lungs using a thin, flexible tube with a camera. |
38 | $0 | $915 |
| Lung biopsy via endoscope, 1 lobe A procedure to remove a small sample of lung tissue from one lobe using an endoscope for examination. |
38 | $41 | $1,457 |
| 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. |
28 | $107 | $478 |
| Endoscopic destruction of lung airway growth or narrowing A procedure using an endoscope to destroy abnormal growths or relieve narrowing within the lung airways. |
26 | $201 | $1,758 |
| 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. |
22 | $85 | $505 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
20 | $10 | $188 |
| Chest fluid aspiration with imaging guidance This procedure involves removing fluid from the chest cavity using imaging technology to guide the needle placement. |
17 | $94 | $2,791 |
| Placement of radiation therapy markers in lung airways A procedure where small markers are placed into the airways of the lung using an endoscope to assist with radiation therapy targeting. |
14 | $79 | $1,363 |
| Chest cavity fluid aspiration A procedure to remove fluid from the space between the lungs and the chest wall using a needle or catheter. |
13 | $68 | $2,270 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 12 | $137 | $670 |
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 ›
The majority of payments (79%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in pulmonary disease and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 2% for pulmonary disease in CA.
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 moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 2% of CA peers, with 16 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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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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