Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Annapurna Bhat, MD

Rheumatology · Stockbridge, GA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
145 N PARK TRL, Stockbridge, GA 30281
7703891701
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1073608899 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. Bhat 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. Bhat

Dr. Annapurna Bhat is a rheumatology specialist in Stockbridge, GA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Bhat performed 44,911 Medicare services across 798 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Bhat received a total of $3,158 from 36 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 179 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. 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. Bhat 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 ▲ Top 15% volume in GA $3,158 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
44,911
Medicare services
Top 15% in GA for rheumatology
798
Unique beneficiaries
$9
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~2,364 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
Certolizumab injection (Cimzia)
An injection of certolizumab pegol administered under the direct supervision of a physician.
37,200 $4 $15
Abatacept infusion (Orencia)
An injection of abatacept administered under the direct supervision of a physician. This code is used for Medicare when the drug is not self-administered.
5,100 $34 $82
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.
535 $66 $140
Blood draw (venipuncture)
Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample.
457 $8 $32
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test
A blood test that measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a test tube to detect inflammation in the body. This specific method is performed manually rather than using an automated machine.
451 $4 $54
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.
385 $88 $175
Dexamethasone injection (steroid)
An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram.
336 $0 $1
Non-hormonal chemotherapy injection
This procedure involves administering non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy medication via injection into the skin or muscle tissue.
99 $58 $100
Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less
Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete.
60 $103 $369
Normal saline infusion, 250 cc
Administration of 250 cubic centimeters of normal saline solution into a vein. This procedure involves the intravenous delivery of a sterile saltwater fluid.
60 $1 $11
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle
A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle.
52 $11 $30
Wrist X-ray, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test of the wrist using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints.
46 $26 $93
X-ray of hand, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test of the hand using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints.
46 $23 $93
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
42 $52 $182
Quadrivalent influenza vaccine, cell culture-derived
A flu shot that protects against four strains of the influenza virus. It is produced using cell culture technology rather than traditional egg-based methods.
21 $32 $60
Flu vaccine administration
This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient.
21 $31 $35
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.
11.6% high complexity
84.0% medium
4.4% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$3,158
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $451/year across 7 years
Bottom 41% in GA for rheumatology
36
Companies
179
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
$3,091 (97.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$67 (2.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$375
2023
$375
2022
$538
2021
$432
2020
$441
2019
$536
2018
$461

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$158
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$47
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$39
Amgen Inc.
$32
UCB, Inc.
$24
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$21
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$21
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$18
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 64.9% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
UCB, Inc.
$457
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$386
ABBVIE INC.
$327
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$320
AbbVie Inc.
$283
PFIZER INC.
$128
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$123
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$111
AbbVie, Inc.
$109
Amgen Inc.
$102
Genentech USA, Inc.
$68
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$68
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$67
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$57
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$47
Lilly USA, LLC
$46
Novo Nordisk Inc
$41
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$40
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$40
West-Ward Pharmaceuticals
$38
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$33
Horizon Pharma plc
$25
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$23
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$23
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$20
Shire North American Group Inc
$20
GENZYME CORPORATION
$19
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$19
Orexo US, Inc.
$17
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$17
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$15
Inogen, Inc.
$15
Purdue Pharma L.P.
$14
Alkermes, Inc.
$14
Valeritas, Inc.
$13
Eisai Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 37.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ANORO ELLIPTA · Actemra · BENLYSTA · Bimzelx · Cimzia · DUZALLO · Dayvigo · Dymista · EVENITY · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Heart Valve · Enbrel · FARXIGA · FORTEO · GLASSIA · HUMIRA · Humira · INFLECTRA · InogenOne · KEVZARA · KRYSTEXXA · LONHALA MAGNAIR · LUPKYNIS · Mitigare · OFEV · ORENCIA · Otezla · Ozempic · ProAir Digihaler · Prolia · REMICADE · RENFLEXIS · RINVOQ · Rinvoq · SIMPONI ARIA · SKYRIZI · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · SYMPROIC · Strensiq · TALTZ · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TREMFYA · TRULICITY · Utibron · V-GO · VRAYLAR · Vivitrol 380 mg · XELJANZ · XIFAXAN · YUPELRI · Yupelri · ZTLido · Zubsolv
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 (98%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for a rheumatology specialist in Stockbridge?
Compare rheumatologists in the Stockbridge area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse rheumatologists nearby

Geographic Context

Rheumatologists within 10 mi
48
Per 100K population
19.6
County median income
$81,612
Nearest hospital
PIEDMONT HENRY 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. Bhat is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 15% in GA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Bhat experienced with certolizumab injection (cimzia)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Bhat performed 37,200 certolizumab injection (cimzia) 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. Bhat receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Bhat received a total of $3,158 from 36 companies across 179 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. Bhat's costs compare to other rheumatologists in Stockbridge?
Dr. Bhat's average Medicare payment per service is $9. 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. Bhat) 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 →