Dr. David Chu, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Chu
Dr. David Chu is an ophthalmology specialist in Newark, NJ, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chu performed 3,057 Medicare services across 1,645 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chu received a total of $136,414 from 38 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 474 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in ophthalmology. 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. Chu 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. |
849 | $107 | $328 |
| 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. |
455 | $75 | $275 |
| Eye exam, established patient, focused A limited examination of the visual system for an existing patient. The provider focuses on a specific eye-related concern or symptom. |
391 | $72 | $142 |
| Retinal imaging (OCT scan) This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye. |
347 | $35 | $148 |
| Slit lamp examination of the eye This procedure uses a specialized microscope to examine the front portion of the eye. |
128 | $33 | $173 |
| CT scan of cornea A computed tomography scan used to create detailed images of the cornea, the clear front part of the eye. |
127 | $31 | $92 |
| Comprehensive eye exam, established patient A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a patient who has previously been seen by the provider. |
107 | $101 | $254 |
| 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. |
105 | $141 | $453 |
| Corneal topography and eye depth measurement This procedure measures the curvature and depth of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. |
102 | $34 | $189 |
| Visual field test, extended A test that maps your complete field of vision to detect blind spots or peripheral vision loss. Extended testing provides a more detailed assessment than a standard visual field exam. |
55 | $56 | $175 |
| Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan) Imaging of the optic nerve. |
53 | $30 | $145 |
| Cataract surgery with lens implant Surgical removal of the clouded natural lens of the eye and replacement with an artificial prosthetic lens to restore vision. |
50 | $477 | $1,608 |
| Comprehensive eye exam, new patient A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a new patient. |
49 | $132 | $516 |
| Contact lens fitting for eye surface disease This procedure involves the fitting of a contact lens specifically intended to treat or manage a disease affecting the surface of the eye. |
49 | $34 | $101 |
| Tear duct plug insertion A procedure to insert a small plug into the tear duct opening to help retain tears on the eye surface. |
40 | $175 | $558 |
| Corneal transplant, outer layer Surgical procedure to replace the outer layer of the cornea with donor tissue. |
38 | $1,036 | $3,461 |
| Retinal photography (fundus photo) This procedure involves taking photographs of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. It is used to document the condition of the eye's interior structures. |
27 | $34 | $107 |
| Eyelash removal with forceps This procedure involves the manual removal of eyelashes using forceps. It is a mechanical extraction method performed on the eyelid area. |
20 | $16 | $59 |
| Laser eye fluid drainage tract creation A laser procedure used to create drainage tracts in the iris to help fluid flow out of the eye. |
18 | $212 | $672 |
| Fetal sac tissue transplantation to cornea Surgical procedure involving the transplantation of fetal sac tissue to the cornea. |
17 | $563 | $1,837 |
| Laser removal of recurring cataract A laser procedure to remove a recurring cataract within the lens capsule. |
17 | $262 | $885 |
| Complex cataract removal with lens implant A surgical procedure to remove a cataract from the eye and insert an artificial lens to restore vision. |
13 | $609 | $2,055 |
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 (89%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in ophthalmology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for ophthalmology in NJ.
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. Chu is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 3% of NJ peers, with 20 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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