Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Atsushi Sakuraba, MD

Gastroenterology · Chicago, IL
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
5841 S MARYLAND AVE # MC4076, Chicago, IL 60637
7737021446
In practice since 2010 (15 years)
NPI: 1366756140 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. Sakuraba 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. Sakuraba

Dr. Atsushi Sakuraba is a gastroenterology specialist in Chicago, IL, with 15 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sakuraba performed 181 Medicare services across 179 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sakuraba received a total of $94,315 from 5 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 16 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in gastroenterology. 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. Sakuraba 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.

✓ 15 years in practice ▲ 181 Medicare services $94,315 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
181
Medicare services
Bottom 17% in IL for gastroenterology
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
179
Unique beneficiaries
$97
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~12 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
Colonoscopy with biopsy
A procedure to collect tissue samples from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities or disease.
59 $100 $2,515
Moderate sedation during GI endoscopy
Sedation services provided by the physician performing a gastrointestinal endoscopic procedure. This requires an independent trained observer to assist in monitoring the patient.
47 $4 $185
Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare
This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination.
38 $224 $3,211
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.
23 $72 $323
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)
An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter.
14 $99 $545
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 2023 ↗
$94,315
Total received (2018-2023)
Avg $23,579/year across 4 years
Top 6% in IL for gastroenterology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
5
Companies
16
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
$93,437 (99.1%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$878 (0.9%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2023
$899
2020
$75,291
2019
$40
2018
$18,085

Payments by company (2023)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation
$878
AbbVie Inc.
$21
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2023 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2023) ›
FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc.
$75,291
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Limited
$18,071
FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation
$878
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$54
AbbVie Inc.
$21
Top 3 companies account for 99.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ESD - Core Endoscopy · Entyvio · FUJIFILM · SKYRIZI
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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 6% for gastroenterology in IL.

Looking for a gastroenterology specialist in Chicago?
Compare gastroenterologists in the Chicago area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse gastroenterologists nearby

Geographic Context

Gastroenterologists within 10 mi
410
Per 100K population
7.9
County median income
$81,797
Nearest hospital
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICAL CENTER
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 2023
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. Sakuraba is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 6% of IL peers, with 15 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. Sakuraba experienced with colonoscopy with biopsy?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Sakuraba performed 59 colonoscopy with biopsy 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. Sakuraba receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Sakuraba received a total of $94,315 from 5 companies across 16 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. Sakuraba's costs compare to other gastroenterologists in Chicago?
Dr. Sakuraba's average Medicare payment per service is $97. 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. Sakuraba) 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 →