Chih Cheng, MD
Dermatology · Apex, NCNPI 1316010861
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
Almost everything reported here is food and beverage — 100.0% of the total across 33 separate payments, which is the pattern of a clinician who attends manufacturer presentations rather than one with a consulting arrangement. 7 manufacturers reported payments, led by AbbVie at 24.5% of the total. That places this record below the midpoint for dermatology clinicians in NC, where the typical reported total is $2,057.
Across 33 payments — averaging $14.21 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- AbbVie$115
- LEO Pharma Inc.$113
- UCB, Inc.$74
- Novartis$60
- Johnson & Johnson$57
- Sanofi$37
- plus $12 from 1 others
Across 1 payment — averaging $100,000 each. An ownership or investment interest held by the physician or an immediate family member.
- Modmed Procure LLC$100K
What the payments were for
- Food & beverage$469100%
Most of this is food and beverage — typically meals provided during product presentations at a clinic or hospital. Nationally that is the single largest category of reported payments by count.
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AbbVie | 6 | $115 |
| LEO Pharma Inc. | 14 | $113 |
| UCB, Inc. | 3 | $74 |
| Novartis | 3 | $60 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 4 | $57 |
| Sanofi | 2 | $37 |
| Prugen, Inc. Pharmaceuticals | 1 | $12 |
How this compares
$469 in reported general payments places this provider in the 25th percentile of 475 dermatology providers in North Carolina.
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| Ketoconazole | 15 | $227 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other dermatology in Apex
- Steven FeldmanWinston Salem$3.4M
- Nicole SeminaraHuntersville$1.4M
- Andrew LeeElkin$702K
- Christopher SayedChapel Hill$690K
- William HooverConcord$594K
- Patrick McElgunnCharlotte$565K
- George MagelHickory$554K
- Muneeb ShahClinton$451K
- John SoderbergCary$398K
- Rosalyn GeorgeWilmington$346K
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.