Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Robert Challenger, M.D.
Urology Physician · Wheaton, IL
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. Challenger 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 →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Challenger
Dr. Robert Challenger is an urology physician in Wheaton, IL, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Challenger performed 7,402 Medicare services across 2,700 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Challenger received a total of $2,611 from 31 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 126 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in urology physician. 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. Challenger 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 16% volume in IL
$2,611 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗7,402
Medicare services
Top 16% in IL for urology physician
2,700
Unique beneficiaries
$43
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~390 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCG treatment for bladder cancer | 2,250 | $2 | $10 |
| Leuprolide injectable, camcevi, 1 mg | 1,386 | $65 | $150 |
| 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. |
844 | $96 | $228 |
| 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. |
490 | $64 | $163 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
419 | $2 | $20 |
| Chronic care management, first 20 min/month This service covers the first 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional each calendar month to manage chronic conditions. |
406 | $43 | $129 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
399 | $3 | $20 |
| Bladder ultrasound after voiding An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder. |
331 | $8 | $100 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
169 | $8 | $20 |
| Cystourethroscopy A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract. |
127 | $189 | $930 |
| 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. |
79 | $122 | $302 |
| 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. |
68 | $140 | $324 |
| Chronic care management, additional 20 min/month This service covers an extra 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional for managing two or more chronic conditions each calendar month. |
64 | $40 | $154 |
| Bladder instillation of anti-cancer drug A procedure where an anti-cancer medication is introduced directly into the bladder. This method delivers the treatment locally to the bladder tissue. |
53 | $74 | $530 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an established patient with straightforward or low-level medical decision making. The visit requires at least 25 minutes of time spent on the day of service. |
43 | $41 | $80 |
| Subcutaneous or intramuscular chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering anti-cancer hormonal medication through an injection into the tissue under the skin or into a muscle. |
39 | $29 | $160 |
| Prostate gland biopsy A procedure to remove small samples of tissue from the prostate gland for laboratory examination. |
30 | $110 | $1,010 |
| Simple insertion of temporary bladder tube A procedure to place a temporary tube into the bladder. This allows for the drainage of urine from the bladder. |
28 | $53 | $340 |
| 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. |
25 | $139 | $380 |
| Transrectal ultrasound of the pelvis An ultrasound imaging procedure where a probe is inserted into the rectum to visualize pelvic structures. |
19 | $117 | $590 |
| 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. |
19 | $69 | $204 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
18 | $69 | $177 |
| Electronic assessment of bladder emptying A test that uses electronic monitoring to evaluate how well the bladder empties urine. |
16 | $6 | $240 |
| Non-needle muscle activity measurement of bladder and bowel openings This procedure measures and records the electrical activity of muscles at the bladder and bowel openings without using needles. |
16 | $27 | $560 |
| Limited retroperitoneal ultrasound A focused ultrasound exam of the area behind the abdominal cavity to evaluate specific structures. |
14 | $47 | $490 |
| 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. |
14 | $109 | $260 |
| Transurethral prostate removal with electrocautery This procedure involves removing the prostate gland through the urethra using an endoscope and an electrocautery knife to control bleeding. |
13 | $602 | $3,670 |
| Other procedure on male genital system A surgical or medical intervention performed on the male genital organs that does not fall under other specific categories. |
12 | $234 | $1,240 |
| Shock wave crushing of kidney stones A procedure that uses shock waves to break kidney stones into smaller pieces so they can pass more easily from the body. |
11 | $494 | $4,100 |
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 ↗$2,611
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $373/year across 7 years
Top 46% in IL for urology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
31
Companies
126
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
$2,611 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$576
2023
$954
2022
$409
2021
$279
2020
$51
2019
$146
2018
$197
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$221
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$64
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$63
COLOPLAST CORP
$58
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$42
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$34
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$29
Tempus AI, Inc
$29
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
Teleflex LLC
$17
Top 3 companies account for 60.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$374
Coloplast Corp
$323
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$279
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$184
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$136
Olympus America Inc.
$116
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$115
DENTSPLY IH Inc.
$98
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$96
Axonics, Inc.
$90
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$90
ConvaTec Inc.
$80
UroGen Pharma, Inc.
$80
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$64
COLOPLAST CORP
$58
ABBVIE INC.
$45
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$42
Laborie Medical Technologies Corp.
$40
Boston Scientific Corporation
$34
AbbVie Inc.
$34
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$29
Tempus AI, Inc
$29
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$28
AbbVie, Inc.
$24
Accord Healthcare, Inc.
$23
TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$19
Avadel Specialty Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$19
Teleflex LLC
$17
NeoTract Inc.
$16
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$16
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 37.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADSTILADRIN · AQUABEAM SYSTEM · Axonics · Bulkamid · CAMCEVI · EDEX · ELIGARD · ERLEADA · GEMTESA · GENERAL - BPH · GENTLECATH · JELMYTO · KEYTRUDA · LITHOCLAST · LUPRON DEPOT · LoFric · Luja Coude · Lupron Depot · NANOKNIFE · NOCDURNA · Noctiva · Nubeqa · ORGOVYX · Otrexup · PROLARIS · PROVENGE · REZUM · Rezum Generator · SpeediCath · UROLIFT · UroLift · XIAFLEX · XTANDI · Xtandi · ZYTIGA · iTIND System
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
Urology physicians within 10 mi
276
Per 100K population
29.8
County median income
$110,502
Nearest hospital
NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE CENTRAL DUPAGE HOSPITAL
2.3 mi
2.3 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. Challenger is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% in IL), 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. Challenger experienced with bcg treatment for bladder cancer?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Challenger performed 2,250 bcg treatment for bladder cancer 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. Challenger receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Challenger received a total of $2,611 from 31 companies across 126 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. Challenger's costs compare to other urology physicians in Wheaton?
Dr. Challenger's average Medicare payment per service is $43. 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. Challenger) 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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