Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Alka Kothari, MD

Cytopathology Physician · Norwalk, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
13100 STUDEBAKER RD, Norwalk, CA 90650
5628683751
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1225097694 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. Kothari 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. Kothari

Dr. Alka Kothari is a cytopathology physician in Norwalk, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kothari performed 545 Medicare services across 338 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kothari received a total of $17 from 1 pharmaceutical and/or device company across 1 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cytopathology physician. 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. Kothari 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 ▲ 545 Medicare services $17 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
545
Medicare services
Bottom 20% in CA for cytopathology physician
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
338
Unique beneficiaries
$22
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~27 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
Tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity
A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This intermediate complexity procedure involves specialized techniques to identify abnormalities in the tissue.
 167 $31 $224
Special stain test for organisms
A laboratory test using special stains on tissue slides to identify microorganisms. The process includes the technical preparation of the slides and a professional interpretation of the results.
 137 $22 $140
Blood smear interpretation with written report
A physician examines a blood sample slide under a microscope to analyze blood cells. The doctor provides a written report of their findings.
 105 $20 $60
Special tissue stain and interpretation
A laboratory test using special stains to examine tissue samples, including the pathologist's review and written report of the findings.
 89 $10 $140
Pathology tissue examination, moderate complexity
A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to identify abnormalities. This specific level indicates a moderate degree of complexity in the analysis.
 18 $9 $150
Tissue staining for diagnosis, initial
A laboratory test where special stains are applied to tissue slides to help examine the cells and identify specific characteristics.
 15 $29 $120
Cell examination with selective cellular enhancement
A laboratory test that examines cells from a specimen using a technique to selectively enhance specific cellular features for detailed analysis.
 14 $23 $105
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 ↗
$17
Total received (2024-2024)
Bottom 11% in CA for cytopathology physician
1
Company
1
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
$17 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$17

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Abbott Laboratories
$17
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ALINITY
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 cytopathology physician in Norwalk?
Compare cytopathology physicians in the Norwalk area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse cytopathology physicians nearby

Geographic Context

Cytopathology physicians within 10 mi
71
Per 100K population
0.7
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
COAST PLAZA HOSPITAL
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. Kothari is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, 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. Kothari experienced with tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kothari performed 167 tissue pathology examination, moderate 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. Kothari receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kothari received a total of $17 from 1 company across 1 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. Kothari's costs compare to other cytopathology physicians in Norwalk?
Dr. Kothari's average Medicare payment per service is $22. 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. Kothari) 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 →

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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 →