Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Brian Chou, M.D.

Endocrinology · Humble, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
17903 WEST LAKE HOUSTON PARKWAY, Humble, TX 77346
2818121846
In practice since 2012 (13 years)
NPI: 1386908556 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. Chou 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. Chou? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Chou

Dr. Brian Chou is an endocrinology in Humble, TX, with 13 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chou performed 2,738 Medicare services across 1,535 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chou received a total of $16,177 from 58 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 463 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in endocrinology. 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. Chou 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.

✓ 13 years in practice▲ Top 16% volume in TX$ $16,177 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
2,738
Medicare services
Top 16% in TX for endocrinology
1,535
Unique beneficiaries
$45
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~211 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 (30-39 min)927$91$220
Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring)333$9$30
Comprehensive metabolic blood panel296$10$50
Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides)207$13$60
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test201$16$30
Free thyroxine (T4) test199$9$50
Thyroid hormone, t3 measurement, free142$17$30
Continuous monitoring of blood sugar level in tissue fluid using sensor under skin with interpretation and report122$26$150
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)74$59$150
Complete blood count (CBC) with differential69$8$30
New patient office visit (45-59 min)66$118$340
Ultrasound scan of head and neck soft tissue37$86$250
Vitamin D level test18$28$150
New patient office visit (30-44 min)17$81$225
Prolactin (milk producing hormone) level16$19$50
Urine microalbumin (protein) analysis14$6$60
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 ↗
$16,177
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,311/year across 7 years
Top 25% in TX for endocrinology
58
Companies
463
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
$9,517 (58.8%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$4,578 (28.3%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$2,082 (12.9%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,279
2023
$879
2022
$5,431
2021
$764
2020
$930
2019
$4,824
2018
$2,069

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$4,243
Novo Nordisk Inc
$3,237
Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
$1,590
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$1,205
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$812
Lilly USA, LLC
$682
Dexcom, Inc.
$511
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$367
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$316
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$270
BETA BIONICS, INC.
$266
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$248
Radius Health, Inc.
$207
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$204
Corcept Therapeutics
$182
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$182
Companion Medical, Inc.
$154
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$98
Amgen Inc.
$86
Medtronic, Inc.
$72
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$65
ABBVIE INC.
$64
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$63
AbbVie Inc.
$63
Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc.
$63
Insulet Corporation
$52
Boston Scientific Corporation
$51
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$47
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$47
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$46
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$46
Senseonics, Incorporated
$46
Shire North American Group Inc
$46
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$41
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$34
Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
$34
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$33
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$33
Abbott Laboratories
$33
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$31
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$28
Bigfoot Biomedical Inc
$25
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$25
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$25
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$20
BIOTRONIK INC.
$18
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$18
Tolmar, Inc.
$17
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$14
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$14
Mannkind Corporation
$14
Exact Sciences Corporation
$13
AbbVie, Inc.
$13
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$12
Cranial Technologies, Inc
$12
Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$11
DEXCOM, INC.
$11
CeQur Corporation
$10
Top 3 companies account for 56.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AFREZZA · ANORO · AVEED · BAQSIMI · BASAGLAR · BELSOMRA · BREO · BYDUREON · CONTRAVE · COSENTYX · CeQur Simplicity · Cologuard Collection Kit · Crysvita · DEXCOM CGM · DEXCOM G6 CGM SYSTEM · DEXCOM G6 TRANSMITTER · Dexcom CGM · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · Doc Band · ELIGARD · Eversense · FARXIGA · FLUBLOK QUADRIVALENT · FreeStyle Libre · GENERAL BPH · Guardian Connect · HUMALOG · HUMULIN · INPEN SMART INSULIN DELIVERY SYSTEM · INVOKAMET · INVOKANA · InPen · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · KAPSPARGO · Kerendia · Korlym · Livalo · MICRA · MOUNJARO · Minimed 670G System · NURTEC ODT · Natesto · Omnipod · Otrexup · Ozempic · PROCLAIM · RAYOS · RECORLEV · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Rybelsus · SIMPONI ARIA · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · STEGLATRO · STELARA · STRENSIQ · SUNOSI · SYMBICORT · SYNTHROID · Saxenda · Seglentis · Sunosi · Synthroid · TEPEZZA · TOUJEO · TRADJENTA · TRULICITY · TZIELD · Tresiba · Trintellix · Tymlos · UBRELVY · UNITHROID · UNITY DIABETES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM · VRAYLAR · Vascepa · Veozah · Victoza · XARELTO · XIAFLEX · XYOSTED · ZEPBOUND · iLet Bionic Pancreas · t-slim insulin pump · t:slim X2 Insulin Pump with Control-IQ · t:slim X2 insulin pump
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 (59%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $591 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a endocrinology in Humble?
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Geographic Context

Endocrinologys within 10 mi
86
Per 100K population
1.8
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
KINGWOOD PINES HOSPITAL
4.6 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. Chou is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% 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. Chou experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chou performed 927 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Chou receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Chou received a total of $16,177 from 58 companies across 463 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. Chou's costs compare to other endocrinologys in Humble?
Dr. Chou's average Medicare payment per service is $45. 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. Chou) 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 →