Dr. Thomas Lu, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Lu
Dr. Thomas Lu is a vascular & interventional radiology physician in Houston, TX, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lu performed 682 Medicare services across 641 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lu received a total of $1,616 from 11 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 24 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in vascular & interventional radiology physician. 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. Lu 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiologist review of CT-guided needle placement A radiologist reviews the CT imaging used to guide the placement of a needle. |
80 | $55 | $517 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for central vein access device Use of live X-ray imaging to guide the placement or removal of a central vein access device. |
65 | $14 | $317 |
| Ultrasound guidance for needle placement Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
62 | $24 | $394 |
| Ultrasound guidance for blood vessel access Use of ultrasound imaging to help locate and access a blood vessel. This guidance assists healthcare providers in performing procedures such as inserting IV lines or drawing blood. |
53 | $11 | $150 |
| Central venous port insertion A surgical procedure to place a small reservoir under the skin for long-term access to the bloodstream. The device is connected to a vein to allow for repeated medication administration or blood draws. |
51 | $259 | $3,054 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
51 | $10 | $120 |
| Chest X-ray, 1 view An X-ray image of the chest taken from a single angle. This imaging test is used to visualize the structures within the chest cavity. |
45 | $7 | $87 |
| Abdominal fluid drainage with imaging guidance Removal of fluid from the abdominal cavity using imaging technology to guide the procedure. |
39 | $76 | $947 |
| Liver needle biopsy through skin A procedure in which a needle is inserted through the skin to remove a small sample of liver tissue for examination. |
35 | $64 | $1,121 |
| Needle biopsy of abdominal cavity growth A needle is inserted into a growth within the abdominal cavity to remove a small tissue sample for laboratory analysis. |
31 | $60 | $1,082 |
| Prostate radiation therapy device placement A device is placed in the prostate to facilitate radiation therapy. This procedure involves positioning the device to aid in the delivery of radiation treatment. |
29 | $41 | $1,142 |
| Injection of biodegradable material next to prostate A procedure involving the injection of a biodegradable substance into the tissue surrounding the prostate gland. |
27 | $115 | $1,584 |
| Needle biopsy or removal of surface lymph nodes A procedure to obtain a tissue sample or remove lymph nodes located near the surface of the body using a needle. |
26 | $60 | $1,193 |
| Core needle biopsy of lung or mediastinum A procedure to remove a small tissue sample from the lung or the space between the lungs using a needle inserted through the skin. |
17 | $118 | $1,743 |
| Removal of central venous port or pump A procedure to remove a central venous access device, such as a port or pump, from the body. |
16 | $131 | $1,724 |
| Deep bone biopsy using needle or trocar A procedure to obtain a tissue sample from deep within the bone using a needle or trocar for examination. |
15 | $101 | $1,647 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It allows healthcare providers to examine the structure and blood flow within these arteries. |
15 | $10 | $247 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
13 | $29 | $628 |
| Kidney drainage tube replacement with imaging guidance A radiologist replaces a kidney drainage tube while using imaging guidance to ensure proper placement and reviews the procedure. |
12 | $87 | $2,002 |
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 (100%) 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. Lu is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 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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