Dr. Visal Patel, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Patel
Dr. Visal Patel is an anesthesiology specialist in San Diego, CA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Patel performed 287 Medicare services across 277 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Patel received a total of $709 from 4 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 12 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in anesthesiology. 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. Patel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arterial line insertion A tube is inserted into an artery through the skin to allow for blood sampling or infusion. |
36 | $36 | $372 |
| Anesthesia for endoscopic procedure on esophagus, stomach, or upper small bowel Administration of anesthesia during an endoscopic procedure involving the esophagus, stomach, or upper small bowel. |
25 | $130 | $1,000 |
| Ultrasound guidance for blood vessel access Use of ultrasound imaging to help locate and access a blood vessel. This guidance assists healthcare providers in performing procedures such as inserting IV lines or drawing blood. |
25 | $11 | $124 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an established patient with straightforward or low-level medical decision making. The visit requires at least 25 minutes of time spent on the day of service. |
25 | $38 | $248 |
| Anesthesia for x-ray of brain, heart, or chest artery Administration of anesthesia during an x-ray procedure involving the arteries of the brain, heart, or chest. |
23 | $262 | $2,192 |
| Ultrasound guidance for needle placement Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
21 | $25 | $248 |
| Esophageal ultrasound of the heart A probe is inserted into the esophagus to capture ultrasound images of the heart. |
20 | $9 | $248 |
| Anesthesia for upper abdomen procedure Administration of anesthesia for surgical procedures performed on the upper abdomen. |
19 | $340 | $2,477 |
| Anesthesia for heart and large blood vessel procedure Administration of anesthesia during surgical procedures involving the heart and major blood vessels. |
15 | $452 | $3,284 |
| Transesophageal echocardiogram An ultrasound of the heart performed using a probe inserted into the esophagus to obtain detailed images of heart structures and function. |
14 | $88 | $744 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create images of the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. |
14 | $15 | $496 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
14 | $3 | $124 |
| Abdominal wall pain injection with imaging guidance An injection of local anesthetic is administered to control pain in the abdominal wall on both sides. The procedure is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
13 | $54 | $992 |
| Anesthesia for procedure on upper 2/3rd of thigh bone Anesthesia services provided for a surgical procedure involving the upper two-thirds of the thigh bone. |
12 | $260 | $1,872 |
| Brachial plexus injection with anesthetic and/or steroid An injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid into the brachial plexus nerve bundle in the arm. |
11 | $57 | $1,082 |
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 (2020-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
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. Patel is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 20% of CA peers.
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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