Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Karen Shum, DPM
Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist · Torrance, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Shum 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. Shum?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Shum
Dr. Karen Shum is a foot & ankle surgery podiatrist in Torrance, CA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Shum performed 2,016 Medicare services across 727 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Shum received a total of $7,828 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 165 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in foot & ankle surgery podiatrist. 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. Shum 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.
✓ 13 years in practice
▲ Top 35% volume in CA
$7,828 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,016
Medicare services
Top 35% in CA for foot & ankle surgery podiatrist
727
Unique beneficiaries
$57
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~155 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin and tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less This procedure involves the surgical excision of skin and underlying tissue from an area measuring 20 square centimeters or smaller. |
476 | $46 | $2,500 |
| Additional skin and tissue removal, per 20 sq cm This code covers the removal of skin and tissue for each additional 20 square centimeters or less beyond the initial procedure. |
299 | $21 | $670 |
| 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. |
227 | $55 | $350 |
| Wound tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less This procedure involves the removal of tissue from a wound area measuring 20 square centimeters or less. |
137 | $29 | $250 |
| Muscle or tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less This procedure involves the surgical removal of muscle or other tissue from the body. The total area of the removed tissue is 20.0 square centimeters or less. |
114 | $123 | $5,500 |
| Skin substitute graft application, 25 sq cm or less Application of a skin substitute graft to a wound on the face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, around eyes, genitals, hands, feet, fingers, or toes. The wound area covered is 25.0 square centimeters or less. |
105 | $76 | $1,000 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
102 | $66 | $426 |
| 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. |
82 | $82 | $351 |
| Skin substitute graft application, 25 sq cm or less Application of a skin substitute graft to a wound on the trunk, arms, or legs covering 25 square centimeters or less. |
73 | $69 | $631 |
| Wound tissue removal, each additional 20 sq cm This procedure involves the removal of tissue from a wound. It is billed for each additional 20 square centimeters of tissue removed beyond the initial amount. |
55 | $20 | $140 |
| 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. |
44 | $100 | $497 |
| 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. |
36 | $67 | $700 |
| Bone removal, 20 sq cm or less Surgical removal of a small area of bone, measuring 20 square centimeters or less. |
35 | $181 | $1,009 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
35 | $30 | $100 |
| Home health plan of care re-certification A physician reviews the patient's status and contacts the home health agency to re-certify the plan of care without the patient being present. |
35 | $37 | $185 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
34 | $109 | $850 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries A non-invasive imaging test that uses sound waves to examine the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It evaluates blood flow and checks for blockages or other vascular issues. |
29 | $18 | $645 |
| 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. |
29 | $108 | $450 |
| 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. |
29 | $46 | $238 |
| Initial hospital admission, low complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving straightforward or low-level medical decision making, with at least 40 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
21 | $69 | $400 |
| 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. |
19 | $145 | $1,000 |
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 ↗$7,828
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,118/year across 7 years
Top 17% in CA for foot & ankle surgery podiatrist
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
23
Companies
165
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
$7,828 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,051
2023
$1,197
2022
$138
2021
$227
2020
$126
2019
$971
2018
$3,117
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$1,035
MIMEDX Group, Inc.
$374
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$344
Urgo Medical North America, LLC
$150
Solventum Corporation
$46
LifeNet Health
$35
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$30
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$20
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$18
Top 3 companies account for 85.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Kerecis Limited
$3,091
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$1,587
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$821
Osiris Therapeutics Inc.
$608
MIMEDX Group, Inc.
$374
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$344
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$155
Urgo Medical North America, LLC
$150
BioTissue Holdings, Inc.
$105
ORGANOGENESIS INC.
$100
TISSUETECH, INC.
$92
Acera Surgical, Inc.
$58
PolarityTE, Inc.
$57
Solventum Corporation
$46
Vascular Insights, LLC
$36
LifeNet Health
$35
MEDLINE INDUSTRIES LP
$35
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$30
Derma Sciences, Inc.
$26
PolyNovo North America LLC
$26
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$22
Bioventus LLC
$17
DJO, LLC
$13
Top 3 companies account for 70.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AMNIOEXCEL · BILAYER WOUND MATRIX (BWM) · CMF OL1000 · Clarivein · Flexitouch Plus · GRAFIX PL · GRAFIX/GRAFIXPL/STRAVIX · Grafix · Grafix PL PRIME · GrafixPL · INC. · Integra · Kerecis Omega3 SurgiClose · MEDLINE INDUSTRIES · NEOX · NUZYRA · Novosorb BTM · OASIS · OMNIGRAFT · Puraply Antimicrobial · Restrata Wound Matrix · STRAVIX · Santyl · SkinTE · SonicOne Clinic · Stravix · TheraGenesis Wound Matrix · URGOCLEAN AG · V.A.C. SIMPLACE · VASHE WOUND SOLUTION 250 ML (8.5 FL OZ) FLIP TOP CAP
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.
Geographic Context
Foot & ankle surgery podiatrists within 10 mi
250
Per 100K population
2.5
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
DEL AMO 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. Shum is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 17% of CA peers.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Shum experienced with skin and tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Shum performed 476 skin and tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less 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. Shum receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Shum received a total of $7,828 from 23 companies across 165 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. Shum's costs compare to other foot & ankle surgery podiatrists in Torrance?
Dr. Shum's average Medicare payment per service is $57. 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. Shum) 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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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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