Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Ramesh Veeragandham, MD

Thoracic Surgery · Danville, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1320 EL CAPITAN DR, Danville, CA 94526
9256762600
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1710972427 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. Veeragandham 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 →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Veeragandham

Dr. Ramesh Veeragandham is a thoracic surgery specialist in Danville, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Veeragandham performed 783 Medicare services across 650 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Veeragandham received a total of $7,616 from 19 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 68 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in thoracic surgery. 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. Veeragandham 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.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ Top 9% volume in CA $7,616 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
783
Medicare services
Top 9% in CA for thoracic surgery
650
Unique beneficiaries
$211
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~39 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
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.
152 $108 $343
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.
149 $164 $638
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 107 $201 $774
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.
98 $123 $456
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.
48 $155 $663
Intraoperative ultrasound guidance
Use of ultrasound imaging during a surgical procedure to help guide the surgeon's actions.
46 $53 $199
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement via femoral artery
A minimally invasive procedure to replace a diseased aortic heart valve using a catheter inserted through the skin and femoral artery.
34 $628 $2,398
Endoscopic vein harvest
A surgical procedure to remove a vein using an endoscope, which is a thin, lighted tube inserted through small incisions.
31 $13 $48
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.
30 $1,202 $5,645
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.
26 $92 $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.
14 $339 $1,285
Radiologist review of arm or leg artery image
A radiologist reviews images of the arteries in the arm or leg. This process involves analyzing the visual data to assess the blood vessels.
13 $71 $271
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.
13 $52 $192
Coronary artery bypass graft, 3 grafts
A surgical procedure to restore blood flow to the heart by creating bypasses using vein or artery grafts. This specific code covers the placement of three grafts.
11 $414 $1,572
Arterial thrombectomy, chest, neck, or brain
A procedure to remove a blood clot and part of an artery in the chest, neck, or brain.
11 $863 $3,273
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.
11.4% high complexity
5.9% medium
82.8% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$7,616
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,088/year across 7 years
Top 36% in CA for thoracic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
19
Companies
68
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
$7,616 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$2,355
2023
$1,944
2022
$1,287
2021
$184
2020
$27
2019
$361
2018
$1,458

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$1,376
Artivion, Inc.
$949
LeMaitre Vascular, Inc.
$16
ABIOMED
$14
Top 3 companies account for 99.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$2,889
Artivion, Inc.
$1,979
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$986
Endologix LLC
$404
Medtronic, Inc.
$347
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$345
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$125
HeartFlow, Inc.
$121
ABIOMED
$86
Saphena Medical, Inc.
$79
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$60
Shockwave Medical, Inc
$50
ATRICURE, INC.
$40
Teleflex LLC
$34
Abbott Laboratories
$20
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$17
PFIZER INC.
$16
LeMaitre Vascular, Inc.
$16
Ethicon US, LLC
$3
Top 3 companies account for 76.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
3F · AFX2 Bifurcated Endograft System · ALPHAVAC · ANGIOVAC · ATRICURE CRYOICE CRYOABLATION SYSTEM (CRYO2) · BIOGLUE SURGICAL ADHESIVE · COREVALVE EVOLUT R · CRYOVALVE SG PULMONARY HUMAN HEART VALVE · Cardiac non-SynerGraft · Conformable TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · CoreValve Evolut · ELIQUIS · ENDO GIA ULTRA · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Heart Valve · GORE TAG Conformable Thoracic Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Thoracic Branch Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · Impella · Manta · Perclose ProGlide suture mediated closure system · RESTOREFLOW · SURGICEL NU-KNIT · Vascular Lithotripsy · Venapax · XARELTO
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 a thoracic surgery specialist in Danville?
Compare thoracic surgerists in the Danville area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse thoracic surgerists nearby

Geographic Context

Thoracic surgerists within 10 mi
48
Per 100K population
4.1
County median income
$125,727
Nearest hospital
SAN RAMON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
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. Veeragandham is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 9% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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

Is Dr. Veeragandham experienced with hospital follow-up visit, high complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Veeragandham performed 152 hospital follow-up visit, high complexity 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. Veeragandham receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Veeragandham received a total of $7,616 from 19 companies across 68 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. Veeragandham's costs compare to other thoracic surgerists in Danville?
Dr. Veeragandham's average Medicare payment per service is $211. 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. Veeragandham) 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 →