Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Leon Chen, M.D.
Neurological Surgery · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Chen 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. Chen
Dr. Leon Chen is a neurological surgery specialist in Houston, TX, with 12 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chen performed 2,821 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chen received a total of $1,040 from 7 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 48 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. 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. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 12 years of NPI registration
▲ Top 2% volume in TX
$1,040 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗2,821
Medicare services
Top 2% in TX for neurological surgery
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$261
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks This procedure involves the removal of a growth from the head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. The removed tissue is then examined under a microscope in the laboratory. |
622 | $443 | $2,206 |
| 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. |
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 wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm A complex surgical procedure to close a wound measuring between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters on areas such as the face, neck, hands, or feet. |
269 | $192 | $1,535 |
| Complicated wound repair, scalp/arms/legs, 2.6-7.5 cm A complex surgical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters in length. |
188 | $187 | $1,392 |
| Skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks A procedure to remove a growth from the trunk, arms, or legs and send 1 to 5 tissue samples to a laboratory for microscopic examination. |
131 | $443 | $2,082 |
| 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. |
125 | $90 | $419 |
| 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. |
59 | $83 | $369 |
| Full thickness skin graft to nose, ears, eyelids, or lips, 20 sq cm or less A surgical procedure where a full layer of skin is taken from a donor site and transplanted to the nose, ears, eyelids, or lips. The graft covers an area of 20 square centimeters or less. |
51 | $790 | $3,303 |
| Skin biopsy, tangential A procedure to remove a sample of the first identified skin growth for laboratory examination. |
42 | $54 | $335 |
| Complex repair of eyelid, nose, ear, or lip wound, 1.1-2.5 cm A surgical procedure to repair a complex wound on the eyelid, nose, ear, or lip that measures between 1.1 and 2.5 centimeters. |
42 | $183 | $1,359 |
| Skin graft repair of eyelid, nose, ear, or lip, 10 sq cm or less A surgical procedure to repair a wound on the eyelid, nose, ear, or lip by transferring a small piece of skin. The transferred skin covers an area of 10 square centimeters or less. |
41 | $603 | $2,520 |
| Complicated wound repair of trunk, 2.6-7.5 cm A surgical procedure to close a complex wound on the trunk that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters in length. |
39 | $208 | $1,323 |
| Complex repair of eyelid, nose, ear, or lip wound, 2.6-7.5 cm A surgical procedure to repair a complex wound on the eyelid, nose, ear, or lip that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. |
38 | $202 | $1,572 |
| Additional Mohs surgery stage with microscopic exam This procedure involves the removal and microscopic examination of an additional stage of tissue from the trunk, arms, or legs. It is performed in stages to ensure complete removal of the growth. |
37 | $320 | $1,282 |
| Intraoperative pathology examination, first tissue block A pathologist examines a tissue sample removed during surgery to provide a preliminary diagnosis. This test is performed on the first tissue block obtained from the procedure. |
29 | $82 | $332 |
| Complex wound repair, 1.1-2.5 cm A surgical procedure to close a complex wound measuring between 1.1 and 2.5 centimeters on areas such as the face, neck, hands, or feet. |
27 | $192 | $1,292 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1 Removal of a single precancerous skin growth. This procedure destroys abnormal skin cells to prevent them from developing into cancer. |
23 | $34 | $216 |
| Intermediate wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm A medical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. This type of repair involves cleaning the wound and stitching it closed to promote healing. |
19 | $126 | $971 |
| Skin graft repair, 30.1-60.0 sq cm A surgical procedure to repair a wound by transferring skin from one area to another. This code applies to grafts covering an area between 30.1 and 60.0 square centimeters. |
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 wound repair, each additional 5 cm or less This code covers the additional work for a complex surgical repair of a wound on the scalp, arms, or legs when the repair extends beyond the initial measurement. It is billed for each incremental 5-centimeter segment added to the primary procedure. |
15 | $104 | $423 |
| Skin graft repair, 10.1-30 sq cm A surgical procedure to repair wounds on the forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, neck, underarms, genitals, hands, or feet by transferring skin. The graft covers an area between 10.1 and 30.0 square centimeters. |
15 | $682 | $2,977 |
| 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. |
13 | $119 | $547 |
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
1.3% high complexity
1.5% medium
97.2% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$1,040
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $208/year across 5 years
Bottom 28% in TX for neurological surgery
7
Companies
48
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$83
2023
$252
2022
$366
2021
$269
2018
$70
Payments by company (2024)
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$67
ABBVIE INC.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$888
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$70
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$22
Eisai Inc.
$19
ABBVIE INC.
$16
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$14
Incyte Corporation
$12
Top 3 companies account for 94.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
COSENTYX · Dayvigo · LIVALO · OPZELURA · RINVOQ · Tremfya · Vascepa
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Geographic Context
Neurological surgerists in nearby ZIP areas
170
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
MEMORIAL HERMANN - TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | NPPES snapshot; verify current record |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | PECOS snapshot |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not included | 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. Chen is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 2% in TX).
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Chen experienced with skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chen performed 622 skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Chen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Chen received a total of $1,040 from 7 companies across 48 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. Chen's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in Houston?
Dr. Chen's average Medicare payment per service is $261. 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. Chen) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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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