Dr. Nikhil Patel, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Patel
Dr. Nikhil Patel is a clinical pathology physician in Augusta, GA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Patel performed 1,371 Medicare services across 874 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Patel received a total of $3,152 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 25 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in clinical pathology 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
405 | $27 | $175 |
| Tissue staining for diagnosis, additional An extra laboratory procedure to apply special stains to tissue slides for detailed examination. |
138 | $21 | $53 |
| Cell examination of specimen, concentration technique A laboratory test that uses a concentration technique to examine cells from a specimen. |
120 | $16 | $125 |
| Fine needle aspirate evaluation and report A pathologist examines cells collected via a fine needle aspiration and provides a written interpretation and report of the findings. |
109 | $52 | $235 |
| 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. |
86 | $26 | $146 |
| 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. |
80 | $21 | $190 |
| Moderately high complexity pathology tissue examination A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This specific level of complexity involves a moderate to high degree of technical skill and interpretation. |
73 | $63 | $270 |
| 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. |
49 | $63 | $309 |
| Fine needle aspirate evaluation A laboratory examination of cells collected via fine needle aspiration to assess for abnormalities. |
48 | $27 | $168 |
| Manual microscopic genetic analysis of tumor A laboratory test that uses a microscope to manually examine tumor tissue for genetic changes. |
33 | $32 | $227 |
| Additional Pap test evaluation episode An additional immediate evaluation of a fine needle aspirate sample during a Pap test procedure. |
28 | $16 | $52 |
| Tissue preparation to remove calcium A laboratory procedure that removes calcium from a tissue sample to prepare it for microscopic examination. |
28 | $9 | $66 |
| Screening cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation, requiring interpretation by physician | 24 | $21 | $85 |
| Blood smear interpretation with written report A physician examines a blood sample slide under a microscope to analyze blood cells. The doctor provides a written report of their findings. |
23 | $18 | $65 |
| Intraoperative pathology examination, first tissue block A pathologist examines a tissue sample removed during surgery to provide a preliminary diagnosis. This test is performed on the first tissue block obtained from the procedure. |
22 | $47 | $239 |
| Bone marrow smear interpretation A laboratory review of a bone marrow sample slide to examine cell structure and identify abnormalities. |
21 | $37 | $230 |
| Intraoperative pathology examination of specimen A pathology test performed during surgery to examine a tissue sample from the initial site. The results help guide the surgeon's immediate decisions. |
21 | $45 | $239 |
| 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. |
19 | $44 | $340 |
| 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. |
16 | $58 | $449 |
| Genetic analysis of archival tissue Testing stored tissue samples to identify genetic information. This procedure analyzes existing tissue specimens for genetic markers. |
15 | $15 | $50 |
| Pathology tissue examination, moderate complexity A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to identify abnormalities. This specific level indicates a moderate degree of complexity in the analysis. |
13 | $9 | $110 |
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 (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (72%) 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 clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 25% in GA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 17 years of NPI registration.
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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