Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Ching-Fong Wu, DO

Colon & Rectal Surgery · Visalia, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1642 S COURT ST, Visalia, CA 93277
5597391698
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1912018177 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. Wu 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. Wu? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Wu

Dr. Ching-Fong Wu is a colon & rectal surgery specialist in Visalia, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Wu performed 1,080 Medicare services across 1,012 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Wu received a total of $4,011 from 29 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 232 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in colon & rectal surgery. 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. Wu 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 9% volume in CA $4,011 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,080
Medicare services
Top 9% in CA for colon & rectal surgery
1,012
Unique beneficiaries
$114
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~57 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
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.
327 $97 $160
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.
191 $126 $250
Colonoscopy with biopsy
A procedure to collect tissue samples from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities or disease.
161 $112 $789
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.
91 $65 $150
Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare
This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination.
81 $205 $1,172
Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy
A procedure to collect tissue samples from the esophagus, stomach, or upper small intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities.
55 $82 $573
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.
46 $103 $414
Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening
A colonoscopy performed to screen for colorectal cancer in individuals who are not at high risk for the disease.
35 $175 $700
Upper endoscopy (EGD)
A diagnostic exam of the esophagus, stomach, and upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope.
30 $90 $355
Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening, high risk
A colonoscopy performed to screen for colorectal cancer in individuals identified as being at high risk for the disease.
26 $181 $700
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.
22 $73 $200
Colonoscopy
A diagnostic exam of the large bowel using a flexible endoscope to visualize the interior of the colon.
15 $143 $669
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 ↗
$4,011
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $573/year across 7 years
Top 49% in CA for colon & rectal surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
29
Companies
232
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
$3,955 (98.6%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$56 (1.4%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$559
2023
$581
2022
$504
2021
$637
2020
$248
2019
$610
2018
$871

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$165
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$142
ABBVIE INC.
$140
QOL Medical, LLC
$63
Exact Sciences Corporation
$26
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$23
Top 3 companies account for 79.9% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$705
AbbVie Inc.
$506
AbbVie, Inc.
$467
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$366
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$317
ABBVIE INC.
$310
Boston Scientific Corporation
$219
Braintree Laboratories, Inc.
$201
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$142
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$112
Prometheus Laboratories Inc.
$83
QOL Medical, LLC
$63
INTERCEPT PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$62
NESTLE HEALTHCARE NUTRITION INC.
$43
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$39
GENZYME CORPORATION
$37
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$37
ERBE USA Inc
$37
Shionogi Inc
$36
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$34
Allergan Inc.
$30
Exact Sciences Corporation
$26
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$24
Ardelyx, Inc.
$24
Qiagen, LLC
$21
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
Alfasigma USA, Inc.
$19
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$17
Allergan, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 41.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Advanix Biliary · Axios · CLENPIQ · CREON · Cologuard Collection Kit · Creon · DUPIXENT · Epclusa · Erbe VIO3 · Erbe Vio3 · HUMIRA · IBSRELA · INJECTAFER · LINZESS · MOTOFEN · MOVIPREP · Mavyret · Movantik · Mulpleta · OCALIVA · QUANTIFERON-TB GOLD PLUS · STELARA · SUCRAID · SUTAB · TERLIVAZ · Talicia · Trulance · VIBERZI · VOWST · XIFAXAN · XIFIXAN · ZENPEP · Zelnorm
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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for a colon & rectal surgery specialist in Visalia?
Compare colon & rectal surgerists in the Visalia area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse colon & rectal surgerists nearby

Geographic Context

Colon & rectal surgerists within 10 mi
1
Per 100K population
0.2
County median income
$69,489
Nearest hospital
KAWEAH HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER
6.2 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. Wu is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 9% 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. Wu experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Wu performed 327 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Wu receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Wu received a total of $4,011 from 29 companies across 232 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. Wu's costs compare to other colon & rectal surgerists in Visalia?
Dr. Wu's average Medicare payment per service is $114. 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. Wu) 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 →