Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Russell, M.D.

Neurology · Atlanta, GA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
95 COLLIER RD, Atlanta, GA 30309
4043512270
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1609866839 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. Russell 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 →
Are you Dr. Russell? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Russell

Dr. Christopher Russell is a neurology specialist in Atlanta, GA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Russell performed 568 Medicare services across 427 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Russell received a total of $40,974 from 53 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 289 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Russell 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 43% volume in GA $40,974 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
568
Medicare services
Top 43% in GA for neurology
427
Unique beneficiaries
$76
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~28 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
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.
251 $65 $253
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.
90 $85 $370
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity
Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service.
80 $56 $168
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.
70 $116 $561
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity
Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
44 $91 $327
Electromyography of arm or leg muscles
A test that measures the electrical activity in the muscles of the arm or leg using a needle electrode. It helps evaluate the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them.
20 $75 $324
New patient office visit (30-44 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range.
13 $85 $370
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 ↗
$40,974
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $5,853/year across 7 years
Top 10% in GA for neurology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
53
Companies
289
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$36,268 (88.5%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$4,467 (10.9%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$239 (0.6%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,497
2023
$741
2022
$4,037
2021
$5,265
2020
$3,263
2019
$462
2018
$25,711

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
UCB, Inc.
$260
ABBVIE INC.
$259
Lilly USA, LLC
$98
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$75
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$70
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$70
EMD Serono, Inc.
$70
Eisai Inc.
$65
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$61
PFIZER INC.
$59
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$54
MDD US Operations, LLC
$49
Genentech USA, Inc.
$47
Amgen Inc.
$37
Biogen, Inc.
$34
SK Life Science, Inc.
$32
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$32
Celgene Corporation
$30
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc
$29
TG Therapeutics, Inc.
$25
Kedrion Biopharma, Inc.
$22
Cycle Pharmaceuticals Inc
$17
Top 3 companies account for 41.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
GENZYME CORPORATION
$14,895
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$10,241
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$6,415
Celgene Corporation
$4,993
UCB, Inc.
$613
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$491
ABBVIE INC.
$355
Biogen, Inc.
$329
Genentech USA, Inc.
$247
AbbVie Inc.
$246
EMD Serono, Inc.
$241
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$185
Lilly USA, LLC
$157
PFIZER INC.
$136
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$135
Amgen Inc.
$102
Eisai Inc.
$80
Lundbeck LLC
$78
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$77
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$74
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$70
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$59
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc
$53
CSL Behring
$50
MDD US Operations, LLC
$49
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$42
US WorldMeds, LLC
$38
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$35
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$33
SK Life Science, Inc.
$32
Impax Laboratories, Inc.
$26
TG Therapeutics, Inc.
$25
Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$24
BANNER LIFE SCIENCES, LLC
$23
Bausch Health US, LLC
$23
Kedrion Biopharma, Inc.
$22
UPSHER-SMITH LABORATORIES LLC
$22
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$21
Array BioPharma Inc.
$19
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$19
Zyla Life Sciences
$18
Cala Health, Inc.
$18
Avion Pharmaceuticals
$18
Cycle Pharmaceuticals Inc
$17
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$16
Assertio Therapeutics, Inc.
$16
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$16
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Promius Pharma LLC
$14
Exelixis Inc.
$13
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$13
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 77.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIMOVIG · AJOVY · APOKYN · APTIOM · AUBAGIO · AUSTEDO · AVONEX · Aimovig · Albuked · Austedo XR · BAFIERTAM · BOTOX · BRIUMVI · Braftovi · Briviact · CALA TRIO · COMIRNATY · COPAXONE · Cabometyx · DUOPA · Dhivy · ELYXYB - celecoxib · EMGALITY · GILENYA · GOCOVRI · Gocovri · Gralise · Hizentra · IMFINZI · INBRIJA · INGREZZA · KESIMPTA · KISUNLA · Kyprolis · LEMTRADA · Lenvima · Leqembi · MAVENCLAD · MAYZENT · MIGRANAL · NORTHERA · NOURIANZ · NUEDEXTA · NUPLAZID · NURTEC ODT · Nayzilam · Nourianz · OCREVUS · ONPATTRO · OXTELLAR XR · Ocrevus · Ocrevus Zunovo · Ongentys · QULIPTA · REXULTI · RINVOQ · RYTARY · Rystiggo · SOLIRIS · SPRIX · Soliris · TECFIDERA · TYSABRI · Tascenso ODT · UBRELVY · ULTOMIRIS · UPLIZNA · VYEPTI · Vitrakvi · ZEMBRACE SYMTOUCH · ZEPOSIA · ZINBRYTA · Zembrace · Zilbrysq
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 (88%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in neurology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for neurology in GA.

Looking for a neurology specialist in Atlanta?
Compare neurologists in the Atlanta area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse neurologists nearby

Geographic Context

Neurologists within 10 mi
242
Per 100K population
22.6
County median income
$91,490
Nearest hospital
PIEDMONT HOSPITAL, INC
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. Russell is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 10% of GA peers, 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. Russell experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Russell performed 251 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 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. Russell receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Russell received a total of $40,974 from 53 companies across 289 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. Russell's costs compare to other neurologists in Atlanta?
Dr. Russell's average Medicare payment per service is $76. 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. Russell) 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 →