Dr. Lauren Sum
What this data tells you about Dr. Sum
Dr. Lauren Sum is a podiatrist in Houston, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sum performed 1,801 Medicare services across 1,110 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sum received a total of $848 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 34 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in podiatrist. 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. Sum is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. 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. |
469 | $67 | $150 |
| Toenail/fingernail removal, 6+ nails Surgical removal of six or more fingernails or toenails. This procedure involves the excision of multiple nails during a single session. |
344 | $33 | $70 |
| Removal of inflamed or infected skin, up to 10% of body surface This procedure involves the surgical removal of skin affected by inflammation or infection. It is performed when the affected area covers up to 10 percent of the patient's total body surface area. |
213 | $37 | $90 |
| 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. |
108 | $77 | $175 |
| Removal of thickened skin growths, 2-4 This procedure involves the removal of two to four benign, thickened skin growths. It is a minor surgical intervention to eliminate non-cancerous skin lesions. |
73 | $53 | $130 |
| Wound tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less This procedure involves the removal of tissue from a wound area measuring 20 square centimeters or less. |
71 | $77 | $160 |
| Simple separation of fingernail or toenail from nail bed, first nail A procedure to separate the first fingernail or toenail from the underlying nail bed. |
51 | $85 | $180 |
| Drainage of blood or fluid accumulation A procedure to remove excess blood or fluid that has collected in the body. |
47 | $116 | $265 |
| Toenail/fingernail removal, 1-5 nails This procedure involves the removal of one to five fingernails or toenails. |
47 | $24 | $59 |
| Drainage of blood under fingernail or toenail This procedure involves removing a collection of blood that has accumulated beneath a fingernail or toenail. |
43 | $29 | $90 |
| Simple drainage of skin abscess A minor procedure to drain a localized collection of pus from the skin. The abscess is opened to allow the fluid to escape and promote healing. |
38 | $87 | $200 |
| Home visit, established patient, low complexity A physician visits an existing patient at their residence to provide care involving a low level of medical decision making. The visit lasts at least 30 minutes. |
37 | $34 | $125 |
| Removal of noncancer thickened skin growth, 1 growth This procedure involves the removal of a single benign, thickened skin growth. It is a minor surgical intervention to eliminate the lesion. |
30 | $49 | $115 |
| Permanent removal fingernail or toenail | 29 | $123 | $250 |
| Complex or multiple skin abscess drainage A procedure to drain one or more skin abscesses that are complex in nature. This involves opening and cleaning the infected pockets under the skin. |
28 | $151 | $330 |
| Shaving of skin growth, 0.6-1.0 cm A minor procedure to shave off a skin growth measuring 0.6 to 1.0 cm from the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. |
28 | $76 | $195 |
| Skin and tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less This procedure involves the surgical excision of skin and underlying tissue from an area measuring 20 square centimeters or smaller. |
26 | $86 | $210 |
| Removal of more than 4 noncancerous thickened skin growths This procedure involves the removal of more than four noncancerous thickened skin growths. It is a surgical intervention to eliminate benign skin lesions. |
25 | $58 | $145 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
20 | $25 | $85 |
| Toe strapping Application of strapping to the toes for support or stabilization. |
19 | $11 | $30 |
| Removal of benign skin growth, 0.5 cm or less This procedure involves the removal of a noncancerous skin growth from the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. The growth removed is 0.5 centimeters in size or smaller. |
16 | $93 | $200 |
| Shaving of skin growth, 0.5 cm or less Removal of a small skin growth by shaving it off the surface. This procedure is performed on the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. |
13 | $63 | $170 |
| Home visit, new patient, moderate complexity A home visit for a new patient involving moderate medical decision making, lasting at least 60 minutes. |
13 | $111 | $268 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
13 | $1 | $4 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2023 ↗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 (2023)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (88%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
1.5 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 2023 |
| 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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Sum is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 26% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. 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. The Transparency Score measures 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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