Leah M Backhus, MD
Thoracic Surgery · Stanford
- Medicare standing
- Clear
- Enrolled, allowed to bill and order, not excluded
- Plans that list them
- 17
- 3 carriers
- Office
- 1
Offices
1 location · Stanford Health Care · 3,152 clinicians in this group
Looking this up.
Hospitals listed: Stanford Health Care. That is not proof they admit you there this week.
Plans that list them
17 plans · 3 carriers
A missing listing does not mean out of network. Directories change, and a listing does not cover every office. Call Dr. Backhus’s office at (650) 723-4000 to confirm they take your plan. Ask about the office you use, its medical group, referrals and appointments.
17 of 17 plans
| Alignment Health BreathEasy (HMO C-SNP) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Alignment Health Clarity (HMO C-SNP) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Alignment Health Harmony (HMO) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes (HMO C-SNP) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes CalPlus (HMO C-SNP) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes Care (HMO C-SNP) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Sep 28, 2026 |
| Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes Choice (HMO C-SNP) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Sep 28, 2026 |
| Alignment Health Honor+ Plan (HMO) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Alignment Health My Choice CalCare (HMO) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Alignment Health Silicon (HMO C-SNP) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Alignment Health smartHMO (HMO) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Alignment Health the ONE (HMO) | Alignment Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| SCAN Balance (HMO C-SNP) | SCAN Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| SCAN Classic (HMO) | SCAN Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| SCAN MyChoice (HMO) | SCAN Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| SCAN Strive (HMO C-SNP) | SCAN Health Plan | Listed | Oct 3, 2026 |
| DualConnect (HMO D-SNP) | Santa Clara Family Health Plan | Listed | Sep 1, 2026 |
California Medical Board record
Licence A77191 · Current
Licensed to practise in California · since 2001 · expires 2027-08-31 · University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
No disciplinary actions, convictions, malpractice judgments or citations in this record.
Hospitals they work in
1 hospital
These rate the hospital, not this clinician. Most measures at most hospitals are no different from the national rate.
- Stanford Health CareStanford, CAAcute Care Hospital · Voluntary non-profit - Private · Has an emergency departmentPart of Stanford Health Care, which runs 3 hospitalsHome of Stanford Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer centrePatients rate it 4 of 5 · 83% would definitely recommend itOverall rating: 5 of 5 starsWorse than the national rate — Perioperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis rate: 5.31 (4.24 to 6.37) · 8,661 cases, Jul 2022 – Jun 2024Worse than the national rate — Rate of inpatient admissions for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy: 14.1 (12.7 to 15.7) · 2,191 cases, Jan 2024 – Dec 2024Better than the national rate — Postoperative respiratory failure rate: 4.08 (1.95 to 6.21) · 5,296 cases, Jul 2022 – Jun 2024Better than the national rate — Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards): 0.317, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025Better than the national rate — Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff): 0.446, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025Better than the national rate — SSI - Colon Surgery: 0.241, Oct 2024 – Sep 2025Better than the national rate — Ratio of unplanned hospital visits after hospital outpatient surgery: 0.7 (0.6 to 0.9) · 3,348 cases, Jan 2024 – Dec 2024
See every measure and the patient survey for Stanford Health Care
Behind the star rating — Deaths: 5 better, 3 the same, 0 worse of 8 measures. Safety: 3 better, 5 the same, 0 worse of 8 measures. Readmissions: 2 better, 5 the same, 4 worse of 11 measures. The star rating is worked out from an earlier period than the measures below, so the two can disagree.
| Perioperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis rateComplications and deaths | 5.31 (4.24 to 6.37) · 8,661 cases | Worse | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Rate of inpatient admissions for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapyUnplanned return visits | 14.1 (12.7 to 15.7) · 2,191 cases | Worse | Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 |
| Postoperative respiratory failure rateComplications and deaths | 4.08 (1.95 to 6.21) · 5,296 cases | Better | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards)Infections | 0.317 | Better | Oct 2024 – Sep 2025 |
| Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff)Infections | 0.446 | Better | Oct 2024 – Sep 2025 |
| SSI - Colon SurgeryInfections | 0.241 | Better | Oct 2024 – Sep 2025 |
| Ratio of unplanned hospital visits after hospital outpatient surgeryUnplanned return visits | 0.7 (0.6 to 0.9) · 3,348 cases | Better | Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 |
| Abdominopelvic accidental puncture or laceration rateComplications and deaths | 1.06 (0.45 to 1.67) · 5,374 cases | No different | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| CMS Medicare PSI 90: Patient safety and adverse events compositeComplications and deaths | 0.86 (0.72 to 1) | No different | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complicationsComplications and deaths | 166.09 (137.88 to 194.3) · 470 cases | No different | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Death rate for CABG surgery patientsComplications and deaths | 1.1 · 192 cases | None | Jul 2022 – Jun 2025 |
| Death rate for COPD patientsComplications and deaths | 6.4 · 146 cases | None | Jul 2022 – Jun 2025 |
| Death rate for heart attack patientsComplications and deaths | 9.7 · 253 cases | None | Jul 2022 – Jun 2025 |
| Death rate for heart failure patientsComplications and deaths | 6.3 · 880 cases | None | Jul 2022 – Jun 2025 |
| Death rate for pneumonia patientsComplications and deaths | 10.3 · 935 cases | None | Jul 2022 – Jun 2025 |
| Death rate for stroke patientsComplications and deaths | 8.7 · 501 cases | None | Jul 2023 – Jun 2025 |
| Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Risk Standardized Mortality RateComplications and deaths | 2.1 · 7,730 cases | None | Jul 2024 – Jun 2025 |
| Iatrogenic pneumothorax rateComplications and deaths | 0.13 (0 to 0.27) · 20,799 cases | No different | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| In-hospital fall-associated fracture rateComplications and deaths | 0.28 (0.14 to 0.43) · 23,182 cases | No different | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Postoperative acute kidney injury requiring dialysis rateComplications and deaths | 0.94 (0.2 to 1.68) · 5,694 cases | No different | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma rateComplications and deaths | 2.36 (1.54 to 3.19) · 7,846 cases | No different | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Postoperative sepsis rateComplications and deaths | 5.2 (3.76 to 6.64) · 5,603 cases | No different | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Postoperative wound dehiscence rateComplications and deaths | 1.38 (0.23 to 2.53) · 2,211 cases | No different | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Pressure ulcer rateComplications and deaths | 0.52 (0.21 to 0.83) · 19,915 cases | No different | Jul 2022 – Jun 2024 |
| Rate of complications for hip/knee replacement patientsComplications and deaths | 3.6 · 416 cases | None | Apr 2023 – Mar 2025 |
| Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards)Infections | 0.869 | No different | Oct 2024 – Sep 2025 |
| MRSA BacteremiaInfections | 0.857 | No different | Oct 2024 – Sep 2025 |
| SSI - Abdominal HysterectomyInfections | 0.368 | No different | Oct 2024 – Sep 2025 |
| Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) 30-Day Readmission RateUnplanned return visits | 16.2 · 247 cases | None | Jul 2023 – Jun 2025 |
| Heart failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission RateUnplanned return visits | 20.5 · 1,021 cases | None | Jul 2023 – Jun 2025 |
| Hospital return days for heart attack patientsUnplanned return visits | 47.8 · 258 cases | None | Jul 2022 – Jun 2025 |
| Hospital return days for heart failure patientsUnplanned return visits | -1.6 · 990 cases | None | Jul 2022 – Jun 2025 |
| Hospital return days for pneumonia patientsUnplanned return visits | 20.8 · 976 cases | None | Jul 2022 – Jun 2025 |
| Pneumonia (PN) 30-Day Readmission RateUnplanned return visits | 16.5 · 959 cases | None | Jul 2023 – Jun 2025 |
| Rate of emergency department (ED) visits for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapyUnplanned return visits | 5.2 (4.4 to 6.2) · 2,191 cases | No different | Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 |
| Rate of readmission after hip/knee replacementUnplanned return visits | 5.1 · 425 cases | None | Jul 2023 – Jun 2025 |
| Rate of readmission for CABGUnplanned return visits | 9.6 · 158 cases | None | Jul 2023 – Jun 2025 |
| Rate of readmission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patientsUnplanned return visits | 19.6 · 183 cases | None | Jul 2023 – Jun 2025 |
| Rate of unplanned hospital visits after colonoscopy (per 1,000 colonoscopies)Unplanned return visits | 12.7 (10.4 to 15.4) · 4,578 cases | No different | Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 |
What patients said (6,810 patients answered, 25% of those asked)
| Cleanliness | 4 |
| Nurse communication | 4 |
| Doctor communication | 4 |
| Communication about medicines | 3 |
| Discharge information | 4 |
| Overall hospital rating | 4 |
| Quietness | 2 |
| Recommend hospital | 5 |
| Room was "always" clean | 75% |
| Nurses "always" communicated well | 82% |
| Doctors "always" communicated well | 81% |
| Staff "always" explained | 63% |
| Yes, staff "did" give patients this information | 89% |
| Yes, staff "did" give patients information about help after discharge | 89% |
| Doctors "always" explained things so they could understand | 76% |
| Doctors "always" listened carefully | 80% |
| Doctors "always" treated them with courtesy and respect | 87% |
| Patients who gave a rating of "9" or "10" (high) | 79% |
| Staff "always" explained new medications | 76% |
| Nurses "always" explained things so they could understand | 77% |
| Nurses "always" listened carefully | 79% |
| Nurses "always" treated them with courtesy and respect | 88% |
| "Always" quiet at night | 53% |
| "YES", patients would definitely recommend the hospital | 83% |
| Staff "always" explained possible side effects | 50% |
| Yes, staff "did" give patients information about possible symptoms | 90% |
Original Medicare doctor bills
$39,905
Medicare paid this office $39,905 for 91 people.
This is what Medicare paid the clinician — not Medicare Advantage, and not the pharmacy.
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 18 | $2,929 | $163 |
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 13 | $2,550 | $196 |
| Return visit (30+ min) | 19 | $2,348 | $117 |
| Long return visit (40+ min) | 15 | $2,276 | $126 |
| Long return visit (40+ min) | 12 | $2,145 | $165 |
See all 8 services
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 18 | $2,929 | $163 |
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 13 | $2,550 | $196 |
| Return visit (30+ min) | 19 | $2,348 | $117 |
| Long return visit (40+ min) | 15 | $2,276 | $126 |
| Long return visit (40+ min) | 12 | $2,145 | $165 |
| Short return visit (20+ min) | 16 | $1,395 | $87 |
| Visit complexity inherent to evaluation and management associated with medical care services that serve as the continuing focal point for all needed health care services and/or with medical care services that are part of ongoing care related to a patient's | 20 | $360 | $15 |
| Visit complexity inherent to evaluation and management associated with medical care services that serve as the continuing focal point for all needed health care services and/or with medical care services that are part of ongoing care related to a patient's | 13 | $255 | $15 |
Procedures Medicare counted
| Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy for acid reflux | 1-10 | None |
Who their Medicare patients are
91 Original Medicare patients in 2024. Average age 74 · Women 53% · Also on Medicaid 18% · Health risk score 2.25. Above the middle of the specialty; the typical thoracic surgery clinician is at 1.74.
Conditions among them: High blood pressure 75% · Cancer 58% · Coronary heart disease 41% · Diabetes 33% · Atrial fibrillation 33% · COPD 30% · Heart failure 25% · Chronic kidney disease 25% · Depression 25% · Stroke 13%.
The office billed $233,934, Medicare allowed $50,915 and paid $39,905; for 224 services of 27 kinds.
Original Medicare patients only. A risk score of 1.0 is the average Medicare patient; higher means sicker. Any count under 11 is hidden.
Year by year
| 2024 | 91 | 224 | 74 | 2.25 | $233,934 | $39,905 |
| 2023 | 80 | 171 | 72 | 1.80 | $219,000 | $37,548 |
| 2022 | 75 | 142 | 73 | 1.97 | $136,300 | $22,518 |
| 2021 | 75 | 151 | 73 | 1.81 | $201,171 | $30,897 |
| 2020 | 76 | 164 | 73 | 1.96 | $252,374 | $37,683 |
| 2019 | 76 | 164 | 74 | 1.99 | $241,264 | $37,036 |
| 2018 | 79 | 202 | 71 | 1.88 | $281,974 | $42,633 |
| 2017 | 87 | 210 | 71 | 1.88 | $236,171 | $38,943 |
| 2016 | 75 | 208 | 71 | 1.93 | $291,409 | $46,908 |
| 2015 | 35 | 73 | 70 | 1.68 | $114,612 | $18,398 |
Original Medicare only. A service billed for fewer than 11 people in a year is hidden, so the lines can add up to less than the year's total.
See the services billed each year
2023: 4 services
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 29 | $4,843 | $161 |
| Long return visit (40+ min) | 15 | $2,660 | $133 |
| Return visit (30+ min) | 22 | $2,346 | $90 |
| Short return visit (20+ min) | 13 | $854 | $53 |
2022: 4 services
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 18 | $3,116 | $173 |
| Long return visit (40+ min) | 16 | $1,864 | $104 |
| Return visit (30+ min) | 17 | $1,639 | $82 |
| Short return visit (20+ min) | 15 | $917 | $61 |
2021: 3 services
| Long return visit (40+ min) | 29 | $4,036 | $130 |
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 22 | $3,710 | $169 |
| Return visit (30+ min) | 14 | $1,252 | $70 |
2020: 2 services
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 24 | $3,578 | $149 |
| Return visit (30+ min) | 27 | $2,307 | $68 |
2019: 3 services
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 28 | $4,264 | $152 |
| Short return visit (20+ min) | 26 | $1,557 | $42 |
| Diagnostic exam of lung airway using an endoscope | 14 | $897 | $64 |
2018: 4 services
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 35 | $5,001 | $143 |
| Short return visit (20+ min) | 27 | $1,924 | $44 |
| Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making at least 35 minutes | 13 | $1,332 | $63 |
| Diagnostic exam of lung airway using an endoscope | 13 | $917 | $71 |
2017: 4 services
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 37 | $5,243 | $142 |
| Short return visit (20+ min) | 34 | $2,012 | $43 |
| Diagnostic exam of lung airway using an endoscope | 19 | $1,303 | $65 |
| Subsequent hospital care with straightforward or low level of medical decision making, per day at least 25 minutes | 13 | $699 | $35 |
2016: 5 services
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 42 | $6,156 | $147 |
| Diagnostic exam of lung airway using an endoscope | 21 | $1,419 | $68 |
| Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making at least 35 minutes | 14 | $900 | $64 |
| Short return visit (20+ min) | 17 | $866 | $46 |
| Short return visit | 15 | $379 | $21 |
2015: 1 service
| New patient visit (60+ min) | 12 | $1,803 | $150 |
Money from drug and device companies
$17,126 in 2025
| 2025 | 5 | 14 | $14,145 | $17,126 |
| 2024 | 7 | 23 | $15,940 | $18,255 |
| 2023 | 6 | 9 | $14,628 | $16,245 |
| 2022 | 5 | 12 | $9,685 | $10,705 |
| 2021 | 5 | 8 | $8,585 | $8,820 |
| 2020 | 3 | 4 | $2,525 | $2,662 |
| 2019 | 3 | 6 | None | $452 |
Paid work is consulting, speaking, honoraria and royalties, as opposed to meals and travel.
A payment is not proof that care is biased.
| Ethicon US | Echelon; Endopath | $10,439 | 3 payments
|
| Ethicon | Echelon; Endopath | $4,040 | 1 payment
|
| Medical Device Business Services | None | $2,371 | 8 payments
|
| Medtronic | Signia | $153 | 1 payment
|
| AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | None | $123 | 1 payment
|
See all 14 published payments
| Ethicon | Consulting · 2025-09-22 | Echelon; Endopath | $4,040 |
| Medical Device Business Services | Meals · 2025-08-26 | None | $20 |
| Ethicon US | Travel · 2025-05-26 | Echelon; Endopath | $271 |
| Ethicon US | Consulting · 2025-05-26 | Echelon; Endopath | $10,105 |
| Ethicon US | Meals · 2025-05-26 | Echelon; Endopath | $63 |
| Medical Device Business Services | Meals · 2025-05-15 | None | $32 |
| Medical Device Business Services | Meals · 2025-05-15 | None | $23 |
| Medical Device Business Services | Meals · 2025-05-15 | None | $27 |
| Medical Device Business Services | Travel · 2025-05-14 | None | $274 |
| Medical Device Business Services | Travel · 2025-05-14 | None | $1,308 |
| Medical Device Business Services | Meals · 2025-05-14 | None | $103 |
| Medical Device Business Services | Travel · 2025-05-14 | None | $584 |
| AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | Meals · 2025-05-02 | None | $123 |
| Medtronic | Meals · 2025-01-25 | Signia | $153 |
See earlier years (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019)
2024: $18,255
| Ethicon US | Echelon; Endopath | $9,123 | 2 payments
|
| E.R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C. | None | $3,334 | 2 payments
|
| Genentech USA | Alecensa | $2,861 | 5 payments
|
| AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | Imfinzi | $1,508 | 4 payments
|
| Medical Device Business Services | None | $1,267 | 7 payments
|
| Intuitive Surgical | Da Vinci Surgical System | $129 | 1 payment
|
| KLS-Martin L.P. | None | $33 | 2 payments
|
2023: $16,245
| Genentech | None | $9,422 | 1 payment
|
| F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG | Tecentriq | $2,817 | 2 payments
|
| Genentech USA | Tecentriq | $2,536 | 2 payments
|
| Medtronic | Signia | $1,378 | 2 payments
|
| AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | None | $71 | 1 payment
|
| KLS-Martin L.P. | None | $22 | 1 payment
|
2022: $10,705
| Daiichi Sankyo | None | $7,465 | 3 payments
|
| AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | Imfinzi | $3,116 | 5 payments
|
| Genentech USA | Tecentriq | $50 | 1 payment
|
| Genentech | None | $47 | 1 payment
|
| KLS-Martin L.P. | None | $27 | 2 payments
|
2021: $8,820
| Medical Device Business Services | None | $5,555 | 3 payments
|
| E.R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C. | Opdivo | $1,860 | 1 payment
|
| Genentech | Tecentriq | $1,170 | 1 payment
|
| Intuitive Surgical | Da Vinci Surgical System | $135 | 2 payments
|
| AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | Tagrisso | $100 | 1 payment
|
2020: $2,662
| Medical Device Business Services | None | $2,020 | 1 payment
|
| Ethicon | Echelon Endopath Stapler | $505 | 1 payment
|
| Covidien LP | Endo Gia | $137 | 2 payments
|
2019: $452
| Intuitive Surgical | Da Vinci Surgical System | $173 | 3 payments
|
| Medtronic Vascular | Valiant Captivia | $155 | 2 payments
|
| Covidien LP | Idrive | $124 | 1 payment
|
Research money
Money a company paid to run a study. Where it went to their institution, the clinician is named as an investigator and did not receive it; the amount covers the whole study, often across many sites.
| Genentech, Inc. · A Phase III, Randomized, Double-Blind Study of Tira Plus Atezo in Adjuvant Nsclc · 2024 | Their institution | $23,870 |
Checkups this office reported
Medicare did not publish checkup rates for this clinician.
- Medicare’s overall office score
- 76.5 / 100
- Scores the office’s reporting and systems. It is not a grade for how the doctor treats you.
Professional record
- NPI
- 1528293677
- Licence
- CA A77191California A77191: Current · expires 2027-08-31
- Trained
- University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 2000
- Group
- Stanford Health Care
- Video visits
- Lists video visits
- Gender
- Female
More record details
- Sole proprietor
- Yes
- Taxonomy
- Thoracic surgery (208G00000X); Surgery (208600000X)
- Mailing address
- 300 Pasteur Dr, Palo Alto, CA, 94304
- NPI first listed
- 2009-05-19
- NPI last updated
- 2024-04-27
- NPI record certified
- 2024-04-27
This is when the NPI record was last certified, not a medical board exam.