Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Yongfang Chen, MD

Family Medicine · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
9160 BELLAIRE BLVD, Houston, TX 77036
7139958886
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1245238880 verify on NPPES ↗
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 →
Are you Dr. Chen? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Chen

Dr. Yongfang Chen is a family medicine in Houston, TX, with 20 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chen performed 1,613 Medicare services across 617 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chen received a total of $32,846 from 60 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1262 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. 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.

✓ 20 years in practice▲ Top 18% volume in TX$ $32,846 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,613
Medicare services
Top 18% in TX for family medicine
617
Unique beneficiaries
$61
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~81 Medicare services per year of practice

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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)541$69$135
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)400$92$180
Dexamethasone injection (steroid)174$0$1
Ceftriaxone antibiotic injection108$0$20
Annual wellness visit, follow-up85$131$180
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle82$11$30
Flu vaccine administration40$31$40
Influenza vaccine, quadrivalent, preservative free, 0.5 ml dosage39$22$25
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)33$140$220
Administration of drug for helicobacter pylori25$8$15
Breath test analysis for helicobacter pylori24$66$120
New patient office visit (30-44 min)19$86$185
Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 80 mg16$9$20
Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead15$10$30
New patient office visit (45-59 min)12$91$280
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. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$32,846
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $4,692/year across 7 years
Top 1% in TX for family medicine
60
Companies
1,262
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →

Payment profile

Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.

Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$29,375 (89.4%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$3,472 (10.6%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$5,135
2023
$4,298
2022
$4,202
2021
$3,610
2020
$2,911
2019
$7,305
2018
$5,384

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$6,661
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$5,816
Amgen Inc.
$2,665
Lilly USA, LLC
$1,828
Novo Nordisk Inc
$1,684
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$1,611
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$1,565
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$1,207
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$843
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$741
PFIZER INC.
$660
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$522
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$504
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$435
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$399
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$352
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$334
AbbVie Inc.
$330
Allergan Inc.
$323
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$319
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$316
ABBVIE INC.
$303
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$286
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$279
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$273
NESTLE HEALTHCARE NUTRITION INC.
$260
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
$251
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$246
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$152
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$145
OptiNose US, Inc.
$143
NeoTract Inc.
$135
Abbott Laboratories
$135
INTRA-SANA LABORATORIES
$125
Boston Scientific Corporation
$118
Genentech USA, Inc.
$111
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$98
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$94
Exact Sciences Corporation
$71
ARALEZ PHARMACEUTICALS US INC.
$53
Eisai Inc.
$44
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$42
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$39
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$35
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$33
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$31
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$25
Radius Health, Inc.
$24
Dexcom, Inc.
$22
Hologic, LLC
$22
Optinose US, Inc.
$17
Hologic Sales and Service, LLC
$17
Allergan, Inc.
$16
Avadel Specialty Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$13
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$13
Eli Lilly and Company
$13
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$12
Eyevance Pharmaceuticals LLC
$12
Mission Pharmacal Company
$12
Almirall LLC
$12
Top 3 companies account for 46.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIRSUPRA · ANORO · ANORO ELLIPTA · APTIMA · AREXVY · Aimovig · Aptima Combo 2 · BELSOMRA · BEVESPI AEROSPHERE · BEXSERO · BREO · BREZTRI · BREZTRI AEROSPHERE · BYDUREON · CAPVAXIVE · CHANTIX · COLOGUARD · COLOGUARD DNA CAPTURE REAGENTS · CREON · ClosureFast · Cologuard Collection Kit · DIFICID · DUEXIS · Dayvigo · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · Dexilant · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · EUCRISA · EVENITY · Edarbyclor · Epclusa · FARXIGA · FASENRA · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · Ferralet · FreeStyle Libre 2 · GARDASIL 9 · GEMTESA · GENERAL THERAPIES · GLYXAMBI · HUMALOG · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · KRYSTEXXA · Kerendia · LINZESS · LIVALO · LYRICA · Livalo · Livdelzi · MOUNJARO · MYRBETRIQ · Mitigare · Movantik · Myrbetriq · NEXLETOL · NEXLIZET · NUEDEXTA · NURTEC ODT · NUZYRA · Noctiva · Otezla · Ozempic · PAXLOVID · PENNSAID · PREMARIN · PREVNAR 13 · PREVNAR 20 · Prolia · QUVIVIQ · RELTONE 200 MG · REZDIFFRA · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Rybelsus · SEEBRI · SEGLENTIS · SHINGRIX · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · STEGLATRO · SYMBICORT · SYNJARDY · Seglentis · TOUJEO · TRADJENTA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRULICITY · Talicia · Tobradex ST · Tresiba · Trulance · Tymlos · UBRELVY · UTIBRON · UroLift · Utibron · VERDESO · VERQUVO · VIBERZI · VOWST · VRAYLAR · Vascepa · Vemlidy · Victoza · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · Xhance · Xofluza · ZENPEP · ZONTIVITY · ZORYVE · ZTLido 30 POUCH in 1 CARTON 1 PATCH in 1 POUCH
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. 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 →

Most payments (89%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for family medicine in TX.

Equivalent to $2,036 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a family medicine in Houston?
Compare family medicines in the Houston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse family medicines nearby

Geographic Context

Family Medicines within 10 mi
1,644
Per 100K population
34.5
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
WEST OAKS HOSPITAL
1.5 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/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 18% in TX), and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 1%), with 20 years of practice experience.

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 office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chen performed 541 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Chen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Chen received a total of $32,846 from 60 companies across 1,262 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. 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 family medicines in Houston?
Dr. Chen's average Medicare payment per service is $61. 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 a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. 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?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
About this page

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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →