Dr. Helen Chen, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Chen
Dr. Helen Chen is an optician specialist in South Pasadena, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chen performed 5,018 Medicare services across 1,077 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chen received a total of $1,803 from 12 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 34 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intensity-modulated radiation therapy delivery Delivery of radiation therapy using narrow beams that are spatially and temporally modulated to target specific areas. This process is performed per treatment session. |
1,253 | $338 | $1,475 |
| CT guidance for radiation therapy This procedure uses computed tomography imaging to guide the precise placement of radiation therapy fields. It ensures accurate positioning for targeted treatment delivery. |
1,228 | $109 | $633 |
| Radiation therapy, 3+ areas, 6-10 MeV Radiation treatment delivered to three or more separate areas using advanced techniques like custom blocking and rotational beams with an energy level of 6-10 MeV. |
519 | $220 | $963 |
| Continuing radiation therapy consultation per week A weekly consultation to review and manage ongoing radiation therapy treatment. |
370 | $80 | $349 |
| Radiation treatment management, 5 sessions Oversight and management of a radiation therapy course consisting of five treatment sessions. |
365 | $164 | $1,162 |
| Calculation of radiation therapy dose | 334 | $59 | $257 |
| Design and construction of complex radiation treatment device This code covers the design and construction of a complex radiation treatment device. It does not specify the clinical purpose or conditions treated. |
201 | $112 | $539 |
| Complex radiation therapy planning | 94 | $136 | $624 |
| Design and construction of radiation treatment device This code covers the design and construction of a device used for high precision radiation therapy. It does not include the actual administration of radiation treatment. |
87 | $418 | $1,817 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 85 | $184 | $821 |
| Cranial lesion radiation therapy Treatment of a brain lesion using radiation delivered over multiple sessions. |
78 | $943 | $4,304 |
| High precision radiation therapy planning This procedure involves the detailed planning and setup required for delivering high-precision radiation therapy to a target area of the body. |
69 | $1,692 | $7,369 |
| X-ray during radiation therapy An X-ray image taken while radiation therapy is being administered to verify treatment positioning. |
49 | $13 | $61 |
| Radiation treatment planning, 1 area This procedure involves gathering the necessary data to design the most effective radiation therapy plan for a single treatment area. |
38 | $251 | $1,093 |
| Special radiation treatment | 33 | $114 | $866 |
| 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. |
31 | $58 | $341 |
| Radiation treatment planning, complex This procedure involves obtaining the necessary data to develop an optimal radiation treatment plan for three or more treatment areas, or any number of areas requiring special treatment. |
29 | $411 | $1,826 |
| 3D radiation therapy planning This procedure involves creating a three-dimensional treatment plan for radiation therapy. It uses imaging data to map the target area and surrounding tissues to guide precise radiation delivery. |
28 | $431 | $3,615 |
| 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. |
27 | $143 | $672 |
| Prolonged office E/M service, first 15 minutes This code is used for additional time spent by a physician beyond the maximum required time of a primary office or outpatient evaluation and management service. It is billed in 15-minute increments based on total time spent on the date of the primary service. |
27 | $27 | $118 |
| 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. |
25 | $98 | $481 |
| Respiratory data collection for radiation therapy planning This procedure involves gathering respiratory data to help develop the optimal radiation treatment plan. |
18 | $380 | $1,656 |
| Fractionated radiation therapy for cranial lesion Treatment using radiation delivered in multiple sessions to manage a lesion in the head. |
18 | $546 | $2,377 |
| Special radiation therapy planning This procedure involves specialized planning for the delivery of external beam radiation therapy. |
12 | $84 | $416 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2023 ↗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 (2023)
All-time payments by company (2018-2023) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (58%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Geographic Context
2.1 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 2023 |
| 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 clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 17% in CA), with consulting-driven 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
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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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