Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Tabassum Chowdhury, M.D.

Optician · Bakersfield, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
5959 TRUXTUN AVE, Bakersfield, CA 93309
6613241203
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1942215751 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. Chowdhury 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. Chowdhury? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Chowdhury

Dr. Tabassum Chowdhury is an optician specialist in Bakersfield, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chowdhury performed 1,463 Medicare services across 1,340 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chowdhury received a total of $5,405 from 36 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 237 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Chowdhury is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 45% volume in CA $5,405 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,463
Medicare services
Top 45% in CA for optician
1,340
Unique beneficiaries
$89
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~77 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.

Procedure Volume Avg. paid Avg. submitted
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
407 $60 $293
New patient office visit (30-44 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range.
271 $77 $415
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)
A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
196 $99 $320
Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy
A procedure to collect tissue samples from the esophagus, stomach, or upper small intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities.
139 $96 $880
Colonoscopy with biopsy
A procedure to collect tissue samples from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities or disease.
117 $112 $1,100
Colonoscopy
A diagnostic exam of the large bowel using a flexible endoscope to visualize the interior of the colon.
99 $129 $950
Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare
This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination.
92 $169 $1,390
New patient office visit (45-59 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter.
50 $126 $485
Dilation of esophagus 34 $32 $660
Injection beneath large bowel lining via endoscope
A flexible endoscope is used to inject medication or fluid beneath the lining of the large intestine.
27 $12 $1,060
Liver stiffness measurement
A non-invasive test that uses ultrasound or similar technology to measure the stiffness of liver tissue. This measurement helps assess the degree of liver fibrosis or scarring.
18 $23 $700
Removal of large bowel tissue using flexible endoscope
A procedure to remove tissue from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The endoscope allows the provider to access and excise the tissue directly.
13 $229 $1,500
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 ↗
$5,405
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $772/year across 7 years
Top 22% in CA for optician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
36
Companies
237
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
$5,405 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$729
2023
$1,187
2022
$811
2021
$657
2020
$128
2019
$624
2018
$1,268

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$204
ABBVIE INC.
$158
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
$125
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$105
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$24
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$23
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$20
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
Ardelyx, Inc.
$16
Olympus America Inc.
$15
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Micro-tech Endoscopy USA, Inc.
$8
Top 3 companies account for 66.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
AbbVie Inc.
$659
ABBVIE INC.
$576
Boston Scientific Corporation
$511
AbbVie, Inc.
$451
Celgene Corporation
$414
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$375
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$333
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$325
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$272
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$163
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$159
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
$125
Allergan Inc.
$124
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$115
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$90
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$86
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$83
PFIZER INC.
$74
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$69
Dova Pharmaceuticals
$68
COVIDIEN LP
$42
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$42
Shionogi Inc
$29
IRONWOOD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
$26
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$23
EVOKE PHARMA, INC.
$22
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$20
QOL Medical, LLC
$16
Ardelyx, Inc.
$16
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$16
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$16
Olympus America Inc.
$15
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
INTERCEPT PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$14
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$12
Micro-tech Endoscopy USA, Inc.
$8
Top 3 companies account for 32.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Acquire · Amitiza · Axios · BRAVO · CLENPIQ · Creon · DIFICID · DUOPA · Doptelet · ENTYVIO · EOHILIA · EVIS X1 VIDEO SYSTEM CENTER · EXALT Model D · Entyvio · GIMOTI · HUMIRA · Humira · IBSRELA · INFLECTRA · INJECTAFER · LINZESS · Linzess · Lockado · MANOMETRY · MAVYRET · MOTEGRITY · Mavyret · Mulpleta · OCALIVA · REMICADE · RESTORE · REZDIFFRA · RINVOQ · SIMPONI · SKYRIZI · STELARA · Sucraid · Symproic · TRULANCE · Talicia · Trulance · VELSIPITY · VIBERZI · VOQUEZNA · VOWST · XELJANZ · XIFAXAN · ZENPEP · ZEPOSIA
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for an optician specialist in Bakersfield?
Compare opticians in the Bakersfield area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse opticians nearby

Geographic Context

Opticians within 10 mi
61
Per 100K population
6.7
County median income
$67,660
Nearest hospital
BAKERSFIELD BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE HOSPITAL, LLC
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPES Weekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOS Monthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util. Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open Payments CY 2024
Disciplinary History — Not public N/A

This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Chowdhury is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 years of NPI registration.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Chowdhury experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chowdhury performed 407 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. Chowdhury receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Chowdhury received a total of $5,405 from 36 companies across 237 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. Chowdhury's costs compare to other opticians in Bakersfield?
Dr. Chowdhury's average Medicare payment per service is $89. 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. Chowdhury) 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. Data Coverage reflects 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 →