Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Merrill Shum, M.D.
Hematology & Oncology · Whittier, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Mixed 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. Merrill Shum is a hematology & oncology specialist in Whittier, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Shum performed 14,015 Medicare services across 1,511 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Shum received a total of $61,853 from 100 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1369 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in hematology & oncology. 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.
✓ 18 years in practice
▲ Top 26% volume in CA
$61,853 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗14,015
Medicare services
Top 26% in CA for hematology & oncology
1,511
Unique beneficiaries
$23
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~779 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epoetin alfa injection (Procrit) for anemia An injection of epoetin alfa containing 1000 units for use in patients not on end-stage renal disease (ESRD) dialysis. |
3,170 | $6 | $14 |
| Injection, heparin sodium, (heparin lock flush), per 10 units | 2,601 | $0 | $0 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
1,878 | $0 | $0 |
| 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. |
1,590 | $68 | $164 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 1,260 | $18 | $47 |
| Anti-nausea injection (ondansetron/Zofran) | 936 | $0 | $0 |
| 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. |
507 | $97 | $252 |
| 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. |
323 | $102 | $244 |
| Additional sequential IV infusion, 1 hour or less This code represents an additional intravenous infusion administered sequentially to a primary infusion. It covers the administration time of one hour or less. |
233 | $27 | $65 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
224 | $6 | $6 |
| 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. |
223 | $147 | $363 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
186 | $12 | $31 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
154 | $8 | $14 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
128 | $123 | $294 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
89 | $10 | $21 |
| 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. |
88 | $151 | $381 |
| Intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance Administration of an additional new medication or substance directly into a vein. |
74 | $14 | $34 |
| Diphenhydramine injection, up to 50 mg An injection of diphenhydramine hydrochloride, an antihistamine medication, administered in a dose of up to 50 milligrams. |
72 | $1 | $2 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
51 | $47 | $191 |
| Unclassified drug A medication that does not fit into standard HCPCS or CPT classification categories. |
48 | $1 | $19 |
| Blood sample collection from implanted device This procedure involves drawing a blood sample directly from a medical device that has been surgically placed in the body. |
47 | $21 | $58 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 39 | $183 | $394 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
35 | $56 | $140 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
29 | $28 | $110 |
| 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. |
18 | $56 | $194 |
| Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level test A blood test that measures the amount of lactate dehydrogenase, an enzyme found in many body tissues. It helps assess tissue damage or disease. |
12 | $6 | $12 |
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.
2.8% high complexity
72.6% medium
24.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$61,853
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $8,836/year across 7 years
Top 10% in CA for hematology & oncology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
100
Companies
1,369
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
$25,815 (41.7%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$22,287 (36.0%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$12,508 (20.2%)
Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$1,242 (2.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$16,545
2023
$9,477
2022
$9,354
2021
$6,706
2020
$13,852
2019
$3,302
2018
$2,617
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
GENZYME CORPORATION
$3,648
PharmaEssentia USA Corporation
$2,922
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$2,841
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,242
ABBVIE INC.
$448
PFIZER INC.
$434
Aveo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$362
BeiGene USA, Inc.
$282
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$258
Celgene Corporation
$246
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$233
Eisai Inc.
$216
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$197
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$190
Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation
$186
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$173
Exelixis Inc.
$165
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$162
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$161
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$157
Incyte Corporation
$155
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$155
Lilly USA, LLC
$153
Cardinal Health 110 LLC
$126
Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.
$119
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$119
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$107
ARRAY BIOPHARMA INC
$90
EMD Serono, Inc.
$86
Genentech USA, Inc.
$81
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$79
SOBI, INC
$77
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$74
Genmab U.S., Inc.
$55
PUMA BIOTECHNOLOGY, INC.
$45
PROGENICS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$43
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$43
Blueprint Medicines Corporation
$43
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$41
Octapharma USA, Inc.
$39
Novocure Inc.
$36
Immunocore Limited
$36
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$32
SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc.
$32
Tempus AI, Inc
$29
TAIHO ONCOLOGY, INC.
$26
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$23
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$23
Geron Corporation
$21
Coherus Biosciences Inc.
$20
Kite Pharma, Inc.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 56.9% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Pharmacosmos Therapeutics Inc.
$7,012
GENZYME CORPORATION
$6,463
Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.
$5,424
PharmaEssentia USA Corporation
$3,005
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$2,954
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$2,941
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$2,919
Eisai Inc.
$2,854
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$2,110
BeiGene USA, Inc.
$2,051
PFIZER INC.
$1,826
Celgene Corporation
$1,609
Amgen Inc.
$1,495
Incyte Corporation
$1,315
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$1,142
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$990
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$908
Exelixis Inc.
$866
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$805
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$801
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$724
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$682
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$653
ABBVIE INC.
$628
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$620
Pharmacyclics LLC, An AbbVie Company
$586
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$458
Lilly USA, LLC
$434
Seagen Inc.
$418
Genentech USA, Inc.
$395
Aveo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$378
Seattle Genetics, Inc.
$342
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$337
EMD Serono, Inc.
$307
EISAI INC.
$276
Clovis Oncology, Inc.
$271
Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation
$261
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$256
Cardinal Health 110 LLC
$239
Kite Pharma, Inc.
$222
Puma Biotechnology, Inc.
$208
ARRAY BIOPHARMA INC
$196
Taiho Oncology, Inc.
$193
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$192
Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company
$178
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$164
Epizyme, Inc.,
$148
SOBI, INC
$141
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$101
Blueprint Medicines Corporation
$100
Foundation Medicine, Inc.
$95
Secura Bio, Inc.
$95
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$91
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$88
AbbVie Inc.
$84
PUMA BIOTECHNOLOGY, INC.
$84
Genmab U.S., Inc.
$83
Dova Pharmaceuticals
$82
AbbVie, Inc.
$79
Myovant Sciences Inc.
$75
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$74
TAIHO ONCOLOGY, INC.
$72
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$69
EUSA Pharma (US) LLC
$63
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$62
MorphoSys, US Inc.
$60
Octapharma USA, Inc.
$59
Novocure Inc.
$53
ImmunoGen, Inc.
$52
PROGENICS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$43
Sobi, Inc
$42
Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc.
$41
Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC
$41
TESARO, Inc.
$41
Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.
$40
Verastem, Inc.
$40
Immunocore Limited
$36
TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$34
MEDIVATION FIELD SOLUTIONS LLC
$33
SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc.
$32
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$29
Tempus AI, Inc
$29
Emmaus Medical, Inc.
$27
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$24
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$23
ADC Therapeutics America, Inc.
$23
SERVIER PHARMACEUTICALS LLC
$23
G1 Therapeutics, Inc.
$22
Shire North American Group Inc
$22
Immunomedics, Inc.
$21
Array BioPharma Inc.
$21
Verity Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$21
Geron Corporation
$21
Coherus Biosciences Inc.
$20
Acrotech Biopharma LLC
$18
AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
Partner Therapeutics, Inc.
$14
Shield Therapeutics Inc
$14
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$14
Organon LLC
$8
Top 3 companies account for 30.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCRUFER · ADCETRIS · AFINITOR · ALIMTA · ALUNBRIG · AYVAKIT · Abraxane · Alecensa · Avastin · BAVENCIO · BELEODAQ · BENDEKA · BESREMI · BLENREP · BOSULIF · BRAFTOVI · BRUKINSA · Balversa · Bavencio · Blincyto · Braftovi · CABLIVI · CABOMETYX · CALQUENCE · CARVYKTI · COSELA · CREON · CYRAMZA · Cabometyx · Copiktra · DARZALEX · DOPTELET · Doptelet · ELAHERE · ELIGARD · ELIQUIS · ELITEK · ELZONRIS · EMPLICITI · ENHERTU · ENJAYMO · EPKINLY · ERLEADA · EXKIVITY · Elahere · Endari · Enhertu · Epkinly · Erleada · FARYDAK · FOTIVDA · FOUNDATIONONE · FRUZAQLA · Fabhalta · Farydak · Folotyn · GAVRETO · GILOTRIF · IBRANCE · ICLUSIG · IMBRUVICA · IMFINZI · INJECTAFER · INLYTA · INQOVI · INREBIC · Imbruvica · Inrebic · Itovebi · JADENU · JAKAFI · JEMPERLI · JEVTANA · KANJINTI · KEYTRUDA · KIMMTRAK · KISQALI · KRAZATI · Kyprolis · LIBTAYO · LONSURF · LORBRENA · LUMAKRAS · LUTATHERA · LYNPARZA · Lenvima · Leukine · Lonsurf · MEKINIST · MONJUVI · MONOFERRIC · MVASI · Monoferric · NERLYNX · NINLARO · Nerlynx · Neulasta · Nexavar · Nplate · Nubeqa · OCTAGAM IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HUMAN) · OGSIVEO · OJJAARA · ONTRUZANT · ONUREG · OPDIVO · OPDUALAG · ORGOVYX · Onivyde · Optune · Optune Lua (NovoTTF-200T) · Orserdu · PADCEV · PANZYGA · PEMAZYRE · PIQRAY · PLUVICTO · POLIVY · POTELIGEO · PROMACTA · PYLARIFY · PYRUKYND · Padcev · Perjeta · Phesgo · Pomalyst · Poteligeo · QINLOCK · REBLOZYL · RETEVMO · RYBREVANT · RYDAPT · RYTELO · Revlimid · Rezlidhia · Rubraca · SANDOSTATIN · SARCLISA · SCEMBLIX · SOMATULINE DEPOT · SUTENT · SYNAGIS · Somatuline Depot · Stivarga · Sylvant · TAGRISSO · TALVEY · TASIGNA · TAZVERIK · TECENTRIQ · TECVAYLI · TIBSOVO · TIVDAK · TUKYSA · Tavalisse · Tazverik · Trelstar · Trodelvy · Turalio · ULTOMIRIS · Udenyca · VELCADE · VENCLEXTA · VERZENIO · VOTRIENT · Venclexta · Vitrakvi · Vyloy · XALKORI · XGEVA · XOSPATA · XPOVIO · XT CDX · XTANDI · Xofigo · Xospata · Xtandi · YONSA · Yescarta · ZEJULA · ZEPZELCA · clonoSEQ · myChoice CDx
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 (42%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for hematology & oncology in CA.
Geographic Context
Hematology & oncology specialists within 10 mi
393
Per 100K population
4.0
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
PIH HEALTH HOSPITAL-WHITTIER
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 mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 26% in CA), with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 10% of CA peers, with 18 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. Shum experienced with epoetin alfa injection (procrit) for anemia?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Shum performed 3,170 epoetin alfa injection (procrit) for anemia 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 $61,853 from 100 companies across 1,369 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 hematology & oncology specialists in Whittier?
Dr. Shum's average Medicare payment per service is $23. 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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