Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Karen Fong, MD

Otolaryngology · Walnut Creek, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
2637 SHADELANDS DR, Walnut Creek, CA 94598
9253004680
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1548275068 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. Fong 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. Fong? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Fong

Dr. Karen Fong is an otolaryngology specialist in Walnut Creek, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Fong performed 708 Medicare services across 388 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Fong received a total of $21,335 from 18 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 51 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in otolaryngology. 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. Fong 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 ▲ 708 Medicare services $21,335 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
708
Medicare services
Bottom 47% in CA for otolaryngology
388
Unique beneficiaries
$156
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~37 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
Nasal endoscopy
A diagnostic procedure that uses a thin, lighted tube to examine the inside of the nasal passages.
 318 $186 $539
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.
 305 $120 $460
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.
 54 $141 $585
Endoscopic nasal polyp biopsy or removal
A procedure to remove or sample nasal polyps or tissue using an endoscope. The endoscope allows the provider to view the nasal passages during the procedure.
 17 $340 $1,556
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.
 14 $79 $325
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 ↗
$21,335
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,048/year across 7 years
Top 5% in CA for otolaryngology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
18
Companies
51
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$20,113 (94.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,222 (5.7%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$326
2023
$94
2022
$94
2021
$300
2020
$148
2019
$17,437
2018
$2,936

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medtronic, Inc.
$62
Baxter Healthcare
$53
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$53
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$49
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$48
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$23
Optinose US, Inc.
$21
Neurent Medical Limited
$17
Top 3 companies account for 51.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Intersect ENT, Inc.
$15,175
Optinose US, Inc.
$2,911
GENZYME CORPORATION
$2,225
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$157
AERIN MEDICAL INC.
$141
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$131
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$109
OptiNose US, Inc.
$95
Pulmonx Corporation
$69
Medtronic, Inc.
$62
Baxter Healthcare
$53
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$53
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$48
Aerin Medical Inc.
$28
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$23
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$20
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$17
Neurent Medical Limited
$17
Top 3 companies account for 95.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
CHARTIS CATHETER · DUPIXENT · FASENRA · FUSION · HETLIOZ · Hillrom - Vest System Model 105 Home Care · INSPIRE · NEUROMARK Device · NUCALA · OFEV · PROPEL · VIVAER STYLUS · Xhance · ZERBAXA
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 →

The majority of payments (94%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 5% for otolaryngology in CA.

Looking for an otolaryngology specialist in Walnut Creek?
Compare otolaryngologists in the Walnut Creek area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Otolaryngologists within 10 mi
131
Per 100K population
11.3
County median income
$125,727
Nearest hospital
JOHN MUIR MEDICAL CENTER - WALNUT CREEK CAMPUS
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. Fong is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 5% of CA peers, 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. Fong experienced with nasal endoscopy?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Fong performed 318 nasal endoscopy 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. Fong receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Fong received a total of $21,335 from 18 companies across 51 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. Fong's costs compare to other otolaryngologists in Walnut Creek?
Dr. Fong's average Medicare payment per service is $156. 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. Fong) 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.

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 →