Dr. Brian Burlew, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Burlew
Dr. Brian Burlew is a pulmonary disease specialist in Bethlehem, PA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Burlew performed 2,431 Medicare services across 1,461 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Burlew received a total of $107,883 from 30 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 394 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pulmonary disease. 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. Burlew 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 (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. |
538 | $63 | $147 |
| 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. |
487 | $60 | $172 |
| 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. |
436 | $92 | $212 |
| 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. |
386 | $38 | $155 |
| 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. |
97 | $124 | $316 |
| Spirometry test before and after medication A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed of your breathing before and after taking a medication. |
83 | $7 | $75 |
| 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. |
79 | $98 | $270 |
| 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. |
68 | $89 | $210 |
| Airflow rate measurement test A test that measures the rate of airflow. This procedure assesses how quickly air moves. |
55 | $11 | $30 |
| Pulmonary gas exchange test A test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases. |
41 | $6 | $145 |
| 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. |
39 | $129 | $391 |
| Lung volume test using sensors A test that measures the amount of air in the lungs using sensors. |
36 | $9 | $150 |
| Lung cancer screening counseling visit A visit to discuss the need for lung cancer screening using a low-dose CT scan. This service is used to determine eligibility and facilitate shared decision making. |
32 | $28 | $60 |
| 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. |
20 | $116 | $286 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
20 | $58 | $180 |
| Initial hospital admission, low complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving straightforward or low-level medical decision making, with at least 40 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
14 | $65 | $195 |
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 (96%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in pulmonary disease and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 4% for pulmonary disease in PA.
Geographic Context
5.1 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. Burlew is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in PA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 4% of PA 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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