Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Ganesh Shankar, MD, PHD
Neurological Surgery · Boston, MA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Shankar 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. Shankar?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Shankar
Dr. Ganesh Shankar is a neurological surgery specialist in Boston, MA, with 16 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Shankar performed 955 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Shankar received a total of $27,872 from 10 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 81 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Shankar 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.
✓ 16 years of NPI registration
▲ Top 7% volume in MA
$27,872 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗955
Medicare services
Top 7% in MA for neurological surgery
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$361
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
143 | $327 | $1,588 |
| 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. |
120 | $141 | $776 |
| 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. |
103 | $108 | $544 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
64 | $176 | $2,375 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
63 | $216 | $1,047 |
| 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. |
44 | $144 | $763 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
40 | $143 | $805 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
38 | $638 | $5,190 |
| Lower spine bone segment removal A surgical procedure to cut into or remove a segment of bone from the lower spine. |
37 | $662 | $6,333 |
| Lower back spinal fusion with bone and disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae in the lower back. It involves removing part of the spine bone and a disc to stabilize the area. |
37 | $1,550 | $7,693 |
| Removal of lower spine bone growth Surgical removal of a bone growth located in the lower spine, outside the protective membrane covering the spinal cord. |
34 | $918 | $7,162 |
| Placement of stabilizing device to back of 1 spine bone in neck A procedure involving the placement of a stabilizing device on the back of a single vertebra in the neck. |
27 | $634 | $4,167 |
| Additional spine bone segment removal Surgical removal of an additional segment of bone from the spine during the same procedure. |
26 | $304 | $1,475 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone. |
23 | $107 | $544 |
| 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. |
18 | $91 | $509 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 17 | $1,150 | $6,619 |
| 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. |
17 | $110 | $548 |
| Spinal fusion of neck, posterior approach A surgical procedure to join two or more vertebrae in the cervical spine using a back approach to stabilize the neck. |
16 | $881 | $5,438 |
| 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. |
15 | $79 | $387 |
| Spinal fusion with partial bone and disc removal A surgical procedure to join additional segments of the spine. It involves the partial removal of spine bone and disc tissue. |
14 | $405 | $2,009 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 7-12 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the back involving 7 to 12 spine bone segments. |
12 | $683 | $5,697 |
| Computer-assisted spinal procedure A surgical or diagnostic procedure involving the spine that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning, navigation, or execution. |
12 | $193 | $1,220 |
| Use of operating microscope Use of a specialized microscope during a surgical procedure to provide magnified visualization of the surgical site. |
12 | $181 | $1,137 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 12 | $177 | $991 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
11 | $892 | $7,126 |
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
30.4% high complexity
0.0% medium
69.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$27,872
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,982/year across 7 years
Top 17% in MA for neurological surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
10
Companies
81
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$5,883
2023
$7,291
2022
$1,504
2021
$11,799
2020
$11
2019
$15
2018
$1,369
Payments by company (2024)
DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
$2,992
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,439
Globus Medical, Inc.
$1,185
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$139
icotec Medical Inc.
$128
Top 3 companies account for 95.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$18,161
DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
$2,992
Stryker Corporation
$1,899
Globus Medical, Inc.
$1,591
NuVasive, Inc.
$1,493
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,439
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$130
icotec Medical Inc.
$128
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$26
Spineology Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 82.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCULIF · AERO · CASCADIA INTERBODY SYSTEM · CONDUIT · Cervical-Stim Osteogenesis Stimulator · ES2 · EXPEDIUM · Excelsius Deformity · Excelsius3D Imaging System · ExcelsiusGPS Robotic Navigation System · Rampart Duo Interbody Fusion System · SONOPET IQ · SYMPHONY · TLIF · TRITANIUM · UNID_PASS · Vader Pedicle System · Velys · XLIF
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Geographic Context
Neurological surgerists in nearby ZIP areas
171
County median income
$92,859
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | NPPES snapshot; verify current record |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | PECOS snapshot |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not included | 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. Shankar is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in MA), with 16 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. Shankar experienced with spinal fusion of additional segment?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Shankar performed 143 spinal fusion of additional segment services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Shankar receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Shankar received a total of $27,872 from 10 companies across 81 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. Shankar's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in Boston?
Dr. Shankar's average Medicare payment per service is $361. 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. Shankar) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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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