2026 NPPES data Rheumatology Physician NPI 1750458691 MD
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HELEN LU, MD

Rheumatology Physician in BALDWIN PARK, California. CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System profile including specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare prescribing data when reported.

Federal data — no proprietary rating. PlainDoctor publishes the actual CMS NPPES and Medicare records — NPI registration, specialty, practice location, and prescribing data — without a composite score or editorial opinion on top. Every field traces to a federal source.
Prescribing volume
2K
Medicare Part D claims · 338 beneficiaries · Rheumatology Physician avg: 2K
Generic prescribing
80%
generic claims · 20% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs

What the federal data shows

HELEN LU, MD filed 1,999 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Rheumatology Physician in BALDWIN PARK, California, prescribing 80% generic.

2K
Part D claims, 2023
80%
generic prescribing
Likely
board-certified (heuristic)

Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records (NPPES, Medicare Part D, MIPS, Open Payments) — no proprietary rating or editorial opinion is applied.

HELEN LU, MD's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber

Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023 — across all CMS prescribers nationally

1,999 Top 16% higher than 84% of 1,370,886 prescribers

0–200: 670,926 prescribers (49%). Below this entry. 200–400: 182,923 prescribers (13%). Below this entry. 400–600: 90,619 prescribers (7%). Below this entry. 600–800: 56,224 prescribers (4%). Below this entry. 800–1,000: 40,919 prescribers (3%). Below this entry. 1,000–1,200: 31,827 prescribers (2%). Below this entry. 1,200–1,400: 26,224 prescribers (2%). Below this entry. 1,400–1,600: 21,710 prescribers (2%). Below this entry. 1,600–1,800: 19,072 prescribers (1%). Below this entry. 1,800–2,000: 16,451 prescribers (1%). This entry sits in this band. 2,000–2,200: 213,991 prescribers (16%). Above this entry. This provider 0 2K+ every Part D prescriber (claims/yr), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more prescribers. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File · 2023

Board certification likely (heuristic — not verified)

HELEN LU, MD practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + 1 hospital affiliation — signals consistent with board-certified status. For verified board certification, see CertificationMatters.org (the official ABMS public lookup).

What does the federal data show about HELEN LU, MD?

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 11/29/2006

NPI 1750458691

Primary specialty

Rheumatology Physician

Mid-sized

6,181 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

1,999 3% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 2,054

Specialty distribution in California

How Rheumatology Physician compares to other specialties among California providers

California providers

Rheumatology Physician share within California

1. Rheumatology Physician42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Rheumatology Physician share within California

Specialty board-certification context

Estimated specialty board-certified rate — Rheumatology Physician (ABMS / AOA reference)

Quality data not reported
Est. board-certified rate
78%
Rheumatology Physician ABMS/AOA estimate

Est. board-certified rate (Rheumatology Physician) — ABMS / AOA estimate

0%100%78%
Est. board-certified rate (Rheumatology Physician) — ABMS / AOA estimate

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores providers 0–100 across four performance categories: Quality, Cost, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities, weighted under 42 CFR §414.1380. Reporting is voluntary for many small practices, so absence of a MIPS score is not a quality signal.

Board certification through an ABMS or AOA member board signals voluntary post-licensure examination plus continuous Maintenance of Certification cycles. Verify any individual provider's status through certificationmatters.org (ABMS) or osteopathic.org (AOA).

HELEN LU, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Rheumatology Physician provider holding MD credentials at 1011 BALDWIN PARK BLVD, BALDWIN PARK, CA, 91706, with a listed phone of (626) 851-1011. NPI 1750458691 was issued on 11/29/2006. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what LU most recently submitted to CMS rather than a vetted directory listing, which is why patients should always confirm the practice is still at this location before scheduling.

Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 1,999 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 338 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $1.2 million in drug spend, split 20% brand-name and 80% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 3.4%. These figures capture only Medicare Part D — commercial insurance, Medicaid, and cash-pay prescriptions are not included, and any drug-beneficiary cell under 11 is suppressed by CMS for patient privacy.

Rheumatology Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 6,181 enrolled providers across 52 states and an average of 2,054 Part D claims per prescriber, so the context for interpreting these metrics differs meaningfully from a primary-care baseline. Important: PlainDoctor is a directory of publicly available government data, not medical advice, a malpractice database, or a quality rating. Inclusion here does not imply a recommendation, and absence of complaints or sanctions on this page does not mean none exist — always verify credentials through the NPPES NPI Registry, your state medical board, and the ABMS or AOA before making healthcare decisions.

Practice Address

1011 BALDWIN PARK BLVD
BALDWIN PARK, CA 91706

Provider Details

NPI 1750458691
Specialty Rheumatology Physician
Credentials MD
Gender Female
NPI Issued 11/29/2006

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where HELEN LU, MD bills Medicare from. Star ratings (1-5) are CMS Hospital Compare's "Hospital overall rating" — a composite of mortality, readmission, patient experience, safety, timely care, and efficient use of medical imaging measures. Source: CMS Care Compare.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PERMANENTE MEDICAL GROUP
BALDWIN PARK, CA

Affiliations sourced from CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File; hospital ratings from CMS Hospital General Information dataset (cross-referenced by facility name + state).

License & disciplinary context — California MBC 2023 annual report

Aggregate state board data only — NOT a determination of any individual provider's status. The figures below describe statewide disciplinary activity across all ~150K California medical licensees in 2023 — they are NOT specific to HELEN LU, MD. To verify HELEN LU, MD's current license status, search the MBC public license lookup directly, or check the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) verification service.

576
Total board actions, California 2023
Across 556 cases
3.84
Actions per 1,000 licensees
California statewide rate
probation
Most common action type
186 cases

MBC publishes annual disciplinary statistics as part of public-record reporting under each state's Administrative Procedure Act. See the full breakdown by action type and year on the California disciplinary trends page. Cross-checked against FSMB U.S. Medical Regulatory Trends.

Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Typical

HELEN LU, MD — brand share 20.0%
Specialty average (est.)

20% brand-name claims vs 80% generic, on 1,999 2023 Medicare Part D claims.

The federal Medicare Part D Generic Dispensing Rate national benchmark sits near 90% generic / 10% brand for primary-care prescribers, per CMS Office of the Actuary 2024 estimates. Higher brand share is common in specialty prescribing where generic equivalents are not available.

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.

1,999
Total Claims
$1.2M
Total Drug Cost
338
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
4,937
Total Day Supply
145,769
Brand vs Generic
20% brand / 80% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$1.1M
Generic Drug Cost
$37K
Opioid Claims
68 (3.4% rate)

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
73.7 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.35
Gender Split
73% female / 27% male
Age Distribution
<65: 22, 65-74: 162, 75-84: 124, 85+: 30

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.

What HELEN LU, MD prescribes most

Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023

claims
Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File As of 2023
Drug Claims
Prednisone
363
Methotrexate
Methotrexate Sodium
346
Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate
339
Alendronate Sodium
92
Enbrel Sureclick
Etanercept
83
Leflunomide
83
Amjevita(Cf) Autoinjector
Adalimumab-Atto
44
Enbrel
Etanercept
43
Rasuvo
Methotrexate/Pf
41
Xeljanz
Tofacitinib Citrate
34

* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.

Rheumatology Physician Overview

How HELEN LU, MD fits within the Rheumatology Physician landscape nationally.

6,181
Rheumatology Physician Providers in US
52
States with Rheumatology Physician
2,054
Avg Claims per Provider

HELEN LU, MD's 1,999 claims are below the specialty average of 2,054.

Nearby Rheumatology Physician Providers in California

Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in California, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as LU.

Compare Rheumatology Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is HELEN LU, MD's specialty?
HELEN LU, MD specializes in Rheumatology Physician and practices in BALDWIN PARK, California. Credentials: MD.
How much does HELEN LU, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, HELEN LU, MD wrote 1,999 Medicare Part D claims totaling $1.2M in drug costs for 338 beneficiaries.
Where is HELEN LU, MD located?
HELEN LU, MD is located at 1011 BALDWIN PARK BLVD, BALDWIN PARK, CA, 91706. Phone: (626) 851-1011.
What is HELEN LU, MD's NPI number?
HELEN LU, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1750458691, issued on 11/29/2006.
Does HELEN LU, MD prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
HELEN LU, MD's prescribing is 20% brand-name and 80% generic drugs by claim count, with $1.1M in brand drug costs.
Does HELEN LU, MD prescribe opioids?
Yes, HELEN LU, MD had 68 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 3.4%.
How many Rheumatology Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 6,181 Rheumatology Physician providers across 52 states in the US. The average Rheumatology Physician provider writes 2,054 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does HELEN LU, MD prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, HELEN LU, MD's most frequently prescribed drugs include Prednisone, Methotrexate, Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does HELEN LU, MD accept Medicare?
HELEN LU, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 1,999 Part D claims and 338 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify HELEN LU, MD's credentials?
HELEN LU, MD's NPI is 1750458691 with credentials MD. You can verify this through the NPPES NPI Registry, check state medical board records, and confirm board certification through the ABMS or AOA.

Data Sources

Provider Directory
CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), download.cms.gov/nppes, updated monthly. Contains NPI, specialty, credentials, and practice location.
Specialty Classification
NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy (nucc.org), the industry standard for classifying provider specialties in Medicare and Medicaid billing.
Prescribing Data
CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File (2023). Includes claims, drug costs, beneficiaries, and opioid prescribing rates.
Limitations
Provider data is self-reported to CMS. Prescribing data reflects Medicare Part D only and does not include commercial insurance, Medicaid, or cash prescriptions. Claims below 11 beneficiaries are suppressed by CMS for privacy.

See our complete data methodology for details on how we collect and process government data.

Data as of April 2026 (NPPES) / 2023 (Medicare Part D). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Disclaimer: Data from CMS NPPES and Medicare Part D. PlainDoctor does not rate or rank providers. Provider information is self-reported and may not be current. Always verify information directly with the provider. About · Methodology