Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Yasodha Natkunam, MD, PHD

Anatomic Pathology Physician · Stanford, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
300 PASTEUR DR, Stanford, CA 94305
6507234000
In practice since 2007 (19 years)
NPI: 1033261151 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. Natkunam 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. Natkunam

Dr. Yasodha Natkunam is an anatomic pathology physician in Stanford, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Natkunam performed 735 Medicare services across 413 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Natkunam received a total of $22,631 from 10 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 17 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in anatomic pathology physician. 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. Natkunam 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ 735 Medicare services $22,631 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
735
Medicare services
Bottom 43% in CA for anatomic pathology physician
413
Unique beneficiaries
$42
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
Tissue staining for diagnosis, additional
An extra laboratory procedure to apply special stains to tissue slides for detailed examination.
332 $26 $261
Surgical pathology consultation on referred slides
A pathologist reviews and reports on tissue slides that were prepared at another facility. This service provides a second opinion or expert analysis of the existing samples.
92 $76 $376
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.
69 $33 $318
Manual microscopic genetic analysis of tumor
A laboratory test that uses a microscope to manually examine tumor tissue for genetic changes.
54 $39 $402
Surgical pathology consultation with slide preparation
A specialist reviews tissue samples sent by another provider, preparing necessary slides for examination. The specialist then provides a diagnostic report based on this analysis.
49 $82 $480
Genetic sequencing localization, initial procedure
This procedure involves the initial process of localizing genetic sequencing. It identifies the specific location of genetic material for further analysis.
42 $40 $441
Flow cytometry, 16 or more markers
A laboratory test that uses lasers to analyze cells or DNA using 16 or more different markers. This technique helps identify and characterize specific cell types based on their physical and chemical properties.
35 $74 $478
Additional genetic sequencing localization
This procedure involves additional genetic sequencing localization work beyond the initial test. It is performed to further analyze genetic material.
34 $32 $188
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.
16 $35 $430
Flow cytometry DNA or cell analysis, 9-15 markers
A laboratory test that uses a laser to analyze cells or DNA using 9 to 15 different markers. This technique helps identify and characterize specific cell types or genetic material.
12 $58 $381
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 ↗
$22,631
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,233/year across 7 years
Top 15% in CA for anatomic pathology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
10
Companies
17
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$17,041 (75.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$5,456 (24.1%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$134 (0.6%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$6,713
2023
$1,844
2022
$5,000
2021
$2,978
2020
$3,013
2019
$1,083
2018
$2,000

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
LEICA MICROSYSTEMS INC.
$4,000
VENTANA MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
$2,612
ROCHE MOLECULAR SYSTEMS, INC.
$101
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
LEICA MICROSYSTEMS INC.
$10,000
VENTANA MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
$6,112
Genentech, Inc.
$1,978
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG
$1,978
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$1,050
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
$1,036
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$252
ROCHE MOLECULAR SYSTEMS, INC.
$101
TAIHO ONCOLOGY, INC.
$91
Seattle Genetics, Inc.
$33
Top 3 companies account for 79.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BENCHMARK IHC/ISH PLATFORMS & REAGENTS · BOND-III processing module · BOND-PRIME automated stainer · Rituxan · VENCLEXTA
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 →

The majority of payments (75%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.

Looking for an anatomic pathology physician in Stanford?
Compare anatomic pathology physicians in the Stanford area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Anatomic pathology physicians within 10 mi
86
Per 100K population
4.5
County median income
$159,674
Nearest hospital
STANFORD HEALTH CARE
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. Natkunam is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 15% of CA peers, with 19 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. Natkunam experienced with tissue staining for diagnosis, additional?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Natkunam performed 332 tissue staining for diagnosis, additional 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. Natkunam receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Natkunam received a total of $22,631 from 10 companies across 17 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. Natkunam's costs compare to other anatomic pathology physicians in Stanford?
Dr. Natkunam's average Medicare payment per service is $42. 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. Natkunam) 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.

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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 →