Dr. Wilson Tsai, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Tsai
Dr. Wilson Tsai is a thoracic surgery specialist in Walnut Creek, CA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Tsai performed 619 Medicare services across 565 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Tsai received a total of $725,585 from 42 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1067 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in thoracic surgery. 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. Tsai 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
113 | $117 | $460 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 108 | $199 | $770 |
| 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. |
62 | $164 | $635 |
| Endoscopic hernia repair with mesh A minimally invasive procedure to repair a hernia at the junction of the esophagus and stomach using an endoscope and mesh implantation. |
45 | $1,500 | $6,470 |
| Radiologist review of digestive tract imaging A radiologist reviews images to guide the opening of the digestive tract. |
40 | $24 | $94 |
| Esophageal dilation with guide wire and endoscope A flexible endoscope is used to insert a guide wire into the esophagus, followed by dilation to widen the esophageal passage. |
34 | $134 | $605 |
| 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. |
24 | $86 | $325 |
| Esophageal motility study A test that evaluates the movement and function of the esophagus. |
23 | $235 | $800 |
| Esophageal function monitoring via nasal tube This procedure involves monitoring and recording esophageal function using a tube inserted through the nose that contains electrodes. |
22 | $179 | $600 |
| Endoscopic removal of chest lymph nodes A surgical procedure to remove lymph nodes from the chest cavity using an endoscope, a thin tube with a camera inserted through small incisions. |
19 | $177 | $674 |
| 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. |
18 | $101 | $470 |
| 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. |
18 | $152 | $663 |
| Esophageal function monitoring via nasal tube This procedure involves monitoring and recording the function of the esophagus using a tube inserted through the nose. |
17 | $185 | $500 |
| 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. |
17 | $152 | $585 |
| Computer-assisted navigation of lung airways This procedure uses computer technology to guide an endoscope through the airways of the lungs for precise navigation. |
16 | $84 | $321 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for central vein access device Use of live X-ray imaging to guide the placement or removal of a central vein access device. |
16 | $16 | $318 |
| Central venous port insertion A surgical procedure to place a small reservoir under the skin for long-term access to the bloodstream. The device is connected to a vein to allow for repeated medication administration or blood draws. |
15 | $238 | $4,031 |
| 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. |
12 | $86 | $705 |
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 (64%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in thoracic surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for thoracic surgery 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. Tsai is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 1% of CA peers, with 17 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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