Dr. Leon Chen, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Chen
Dr. Leon Chen is a neurological surgery in Houston, TX, with 11 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chen performed 2,821 Medicare services across 2,305 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chen received a total of $1,040 from 7 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 48 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological surgery. 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. Chen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removal and microscopic exam of growth of head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals, 1-5 tissue blocks | 622 | $443 | $2,206 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 613 | $65 | $291 |
| Removal and microscopic exam of growth of head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals, each additional stage, 1-5 tissue blocks | 350 | $330 | $1,348 |
| Complicated repair of wound of forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, neck, underarms, genitals, hands, or feet, 2.6-7.5 cm | 269 | $192 | $1,535 |
| Complicated repair of wound of scalp, arms, or legs, 2.6-7.5 cm | 188 | $187 | $1,392 |
| Removal and microscopic exam of growth of trunk, arms, or legs, 1-5 tissue blocks | 131 | $443 | $2,082 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 125 | $90 | $419 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) | 59 | $83 | $369 |
| Full thickness skin graft to nose, ears, eyelids, or lips, 20.0 sq cm or less | 51 | $790 | $3,303 |
| Skin biopsy, tangential | 42 | $54 | $335 |
| Complicated repair of wound of eyelids, nose, ears, or lip, 1.1-2.5 cm | 42 | $183 | $1,359 |
| Repair of wound of eyelids, nose, ears, or lips by transferring skin, 10.0 sq cm or less | 41 | $603 | $2,520 |
| Complicated repair of wound of trunk, 2.6-7.5 cm | 39 | $208 | $1,323 |
| Complicated repair of wound of eyelids, nose, ears, or lip, 2.6-7.5 cm | 38 | $202 | $1,572 |
| Removal and microscopic exam of growth of trunk, arms, or legs, each additional stage, 1-5 tissue blocks | 37 | $320 | $1,282 |
| Pathology examination of specimen during surgery, first tissue block | 29 | $82 | $332 |
| Complicated repair of wound of forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, neck, underarms, genitals, hands, or feet, 1.1-2.5 cm | 27 | $192 | $1,292 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1 | 23 | $34 | $216 |
| Intermediate repair of wound of scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs, 2.6-7.5 cm | 19 | $126 | $971 |
| Repair of wound by transferring skin, 30.1-60.0 sq cm | 18 | $875 | $3,593 |
| Intermediate repair of wound of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth, 2.6-5.0 cm | 15 | $125 | $1,052 |
| Complicated repair of wound of scalp, arms, or legs, each additional 5.0 cm or less | 15 | $104 | $423 |
| Repair of wound of forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, neck, underarms, genitals, hands, or feet by transferring skin, 10.1-30.0 sq cm | 15 | $682 | $2,977 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 13 | $119 | $547 |
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)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (93%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Chen is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 2% in TX), and low-engagement industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Chen experienced with removal and microscopic exam of growth of head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals, 1-5 tissue blocks?
Does Dr. Chen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Chen's costs compare to other neurological surgerys in Houston?
What does Data Coverage mean?
Is this data up to date?
Explore related providers
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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