Medicare Enrolled

Dr. George Birdsong, M.D.

Cytopathology Physician · Atlanta, GA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
80 JESSE HILL JR DR SE, Atlanta, GA 30303
4046163164
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1518915552 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. Birdsong 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. Birdsong? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Birdsong

Dr. George Birdsong is a cytopathology physician in Atlanta, GA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Birdsong performed 188 Medicare services across 137 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Birdsong received a total of $922 from 9 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 20 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. Birdsong 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 ▲ 188 Medicare services $922 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
188
Medicare services
Bottom 5% in GA for cytopathology physician
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
137
Unique beneficiaries
$25
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~9 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.
 109 $29 $118
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.
 23 $18 $87
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.
 22 $25 $110
Pap test
A screening test to check for cervical cancer by collecting cells from the cervix.
 18 $15 $79
Cell examination of specimen, concentration technique
A laboratory test that uses a concentration technique to examine cells from a specimen.
 16 $18 $78
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 ↗
$922
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $154/year across 6 years
Top 5% in GA for cytopathology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
9
Companies
20
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
$922 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$227
2023
$230
2022
$271
2021
$32
2019
$98
2018
$63

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Roche Diagnostics Corporation
$123
Tempus AI, Inc
$104
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$367
Roche Diagnostics Corporation
$123
Tempus AI, Inc
$104
Foundation Medicine, Inc.
$72
Seagen Inc.
$65
Abbott Laboratories
$63
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$59
Hologic, LLC
$39
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$30
Top 3 companies account for 64.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Digital Cytology · ENHERTU · FOUNDATIONONE · Mini Trek catheters · Perclose ProGlide suture mediated closure system · TAGRISSO
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. Total industry engagement is in the top 5% for cytopathology physician in GA.

Looking for a cytopathology physician in Atlanta?
Compare cytopathology physicians in the Atlanta area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Cytopathology physicians within 10 mi
22
Per 100K population
2.1
County median income
$91,490
Nearest hospital
GRADY MEMORIAL 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. Birdsong is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 5% 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. Birdsong experienced with tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Birdsong performed 109 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. Birdsong receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Birdsong received a total of $922 from 9 companies across 20 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. Birdsong's costs compare to other cytopathology physicians in Atlanta?
Dr. Birdsong's average Medicare payment per service is $25. 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. Birdsong) 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 →