Dr. Murali Dharan, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Dharan
Dr. Murali Dharan is a thoracic surgery specialist in Danville, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Dharan performed 892 Medicare services across 795 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Dharan received a total of $66,540 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 97 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in thoracic surgery. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Dharan 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lung volume test using gas dilution or washout A test that measures the amount of air in your lungs by using a gas dilution or washout method. |
109 | $46 | $169 |
| Pulmonary gas exchange test A test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases. |
109 | $61 | $232 |
| Airflow rate measurement test A test that measures the rate of airflow. This procedure assesses how quickly air moves. |
108 | $39 | $146 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
106 | $153 | $663 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
66 | $105 | $343 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 43 | $206 | $774 |
| Blood vessel repair of leg Surgical repair of a blood vessel in the leg to restore proper blood flow or fix damage. |
42 | $84 | $435 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
40 | $161 | $645 |
| CT scan of chest, without contrast A computed tomography scan of the chest area that uses X-rays to create detailed images without the use of contrast dye. |
39 | $46 | $177 |
| Critical care, first 30-74 min Emergency medical care for a critically ill or injured patient lasting between 30 and 74 minutes. This service involves direct patient care and medical decision making to stabilize the patient. |
36 | $189 | $719 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
34 | $51 | $192 |
| Intraoperative ultrasound guidance Use of ultrasound imaging during a surgical procedure to help guide the surgeon's actions. |
33 | $53 | $199 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft, 1 artery Surgical procedure to bypass a blocked coronary artery using a graft from another artery. This restores blood flow to the heart muscle. |
27 | $1,418 | $5,682 |
| Radical mitral valve reconstruction on heart-lung machine Surgical repair of the mitral valve using a heart-lung machine to maintain circulation during the procedure. |
24 | $1,462 | $6,415 |
| Endoscopic vein harvest A surgical procedure to remove a vein using an endoscope, which is a thin, lighted tube inserted through small incisions. |
23 | $12 | $47 |
| Right and left heart catheterization A procedure where a tube is inserted into the heart chambers to gather diagnostic information, with review by a radiologist. |
16 | $251 | $1,240 |
| Surgical removal of pericardial tissue for drainage A surgical procedure to remove a piece of the sac surrounding the heart to allow for drainage. |
14 | $547 | $2,496 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone. |
12 | $78 | $456 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft, 2 grafts A surgical procedure to restore blood flow to the heart by creating bypasses using two vein or artery grafts. |
11 | $339 | $1,285 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (95%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 8% for thoracic surgery in CA.
Geographic Context
3.0 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. Dharan is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 9% in CA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 8% of CA peers, with 20 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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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.
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