Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Nivedita Chandrasekharan, OD, FAAO

Optometrist · Santa Cruz, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
2025 SOQUEL AVE, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
8314585640
In practice since 2013 (13 years)
NPI: 1164763058 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. Chandrasekharan 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. Chandrasekharan

Dr. Nivedita Chandrasekharan is an optometrist in Santa Cruz, CA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chandrasekharan performed 298 Medicare services across 291 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chandrasekharan received a total of $1,697 from 16 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 33 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optometrist. 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. Chandrasekharan 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.

✓ 13 years in practice ▲ Top 31% volume in CA $1,697 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
298
Medicare services
Top 31% in CA for optometrist
291
Unique beneficiaries
$84
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~23 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
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a new patient.
72 $123 $512
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a patient who has previously been seen by the provider.
66 $104 $430
Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan)
Imaging of the optic nerve.
47 $33 $218
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.
25 $78 $247
Eye exam, established patient, focused
A limited examination of the visual system for an existing patient. The provider focuses on a specific eye-related concern or symptom.
21 $70 $310
Visual field test, extended
A test that maps your complete field of vision to detect blind spots or peripheral vision loss. Extended testing provides a more detailed assessment than a standard visual field exam.
21 $63 $327
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.
17 $143 $554
Ultrasound scan of cornea to determine thickness
An ultrasound procedure used to measure the thickness of the cornea.
16 $10 $63
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)
This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye.
13 $39 $220
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 ↗
$1,697
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $242/year across 7 years
Top 23% in CA for optometrist
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
16
Companies
33
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
$1,697 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$628
2023
$124
2022
$139
2021
$154
2020
$126
2019
$264
2018
$263

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
CooperVision Inc.
$211
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$148
Alcon Vision LLC
$135
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$134
Top 3 companies account for 78.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$258
CooperVision Inc.
$211
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$155
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$148
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$139
Alcon Vision LLC
$135
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$115
Shire North American Group Inc
$85
Allergan Inc.
$84
Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
$72
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$72
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
$59
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$56
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$49
NEW WORLD MEDICAL,INC.
$41
Dompe US, Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 36.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AcrySof · Acuvue · Ahmed Glaucoma Valve · BROMSITE · CEQUA · CLARUS · Clariti Contact Lens · EYLEA · HYDRUS Microstent · LUMIGAN · MIEBO · MyDay Contact Lens · Oxervate · Rhopressa · VYZULTA · XDEMVY · XELPROS · XIIDRA · rocklatan
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 optometrist in Santa Cruz?
Compare optometrists in the Santa Cruz area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse optometrists nearby

Geographic Context

Optometrists within 10 mi
288
Per 100K population
108.3
County median income
$109,266
Nearest hospital
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH FACILITY
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. Chandrasekharan is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Chandrasekharan experienced with comprehensive eye exam, new patient?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chandrasekharan performed 72 comprehensive eye exam, new patient 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. Chandrasekharan receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Chandrasekharan received a total of $1,697 from 16 companies across 33 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. Chandrasekharan's costs compare to other optometrists in Santa Cruz?
Dr. Chandrasekharan's average Medicare payment per service is $84. 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. Chandrasekharan) 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 →