Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Aashish Kumar, M.D., D.ABA
Pain Medicine · Charlotte, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
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. Kumar 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. Kumar
Dr. Aashish Kumar is a pain medicine specialist in Charlotte, NC, with 12 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kumar performed 3,055 Medicare services across 778 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kumar received a total of $122,086 from 38 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 474 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain medicine. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Kumar 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.
✓ 12 years in practice
▲ Top 21% volume in NC
$122,086 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,055
Medicare services
Top 21% in NC for pain medicine
778
Unique beneficiaries
$45
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~255 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
1,730 | $0 | $1 |
| 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. |
262 | $90 | $262 |
| Monthly chronic pain management bundle A monthly service for chronic pain management that includes diagnosis, assessment, monitoring, and the development or revision of a person-centered care plan. |
237 | $58 | $200 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 145 | $151 | $485 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
92 | $1 | $5 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
59 | $183 | $1,327 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
59 | $95 | $688 |
| Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) A contrast agent containing 300-399 mg/ml of iodine used to enhance imaging studies. It is administered per milliliter to improve the visibility of internal structures. |
55 | $0 | $1 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals. |
47 | $324 | $1,497 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
47 | $177 | $692 |
| Cefazolin sodium injection, 500 mg An injection of 500 mg of cefazolin sodium, an antibiotic medication, administered into the body. |
40 | $1 | $5 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
35 | $196 | $1,240 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement. |
35 | $100 | $664 |
| 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. |
31 | $83 | $110 |
| Assessment of emotional or behavioral problems An evaluation to identify and understand emotional or behavioral issues. This process involves reviewing symptoms and behaviors to determine the nature of the concerns. |
30 | $3 | $8 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
27 | $50 | $201 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy the nerves supplying a single upper or middle spinal facet joint. It is performed to interrupt pain signals from that specific joint. |
23 | $327 | $1,565 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional upper or middle spinal facet joint. |
23 | $191 | $730 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
22 | $120 | $642 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
20 | $50 | $364 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
12 | $188 | $550 |
| Knee nerve block injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a nerve branch of the knee, performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
12 | $160 | $522 |
| Destruction of nerve branches of knee using imaging guidance | 12 | $282 | $1,435 |
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 ↗$122,086
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $17,441/year across 7 years
Top 6% in NC for pain medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
38
Companies
474
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.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$70,286 (57.6%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$29,130 (23.9%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$22,671 (18.6%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$27,914
2023
$39,999
2022
$43,273
2021
$6,270
2020
$1,342
2019
$2,963
2018
$326
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$19,325
Abbott Laboratories
$5,794
Boston Scientific Corporation
$944
Saluda Medical Americas, Inc.
$744
Medtronic, Inc.
$443
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$165
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$151
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$83
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$63
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$46
SI-BONE, INC.
$23
Nevro Corp.
$23
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$22
Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc.
$20
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$19
PAINTEQ LLC
$18
VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INCORPORATED
$16
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 93.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$69,100
Bioventus LLC
$24,673
Abbott Laboratories
$8,928
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$3,933
Nevro Corp.
$3,025
Saluda Medical Americas, Inc.
$2,877
Medtronic, Inc.
$2,353
Boston Scientific Corporation
$1,956
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$1,012
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$523
ZOLL Medical Corporation
$517
Becton, Dickinson and Company
$458
BAXTER HEALTHCARE
$400
PAINTEQ LLC
$376
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$365
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$288
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$280
BIOTRONIK NRO, Inc.
$117
Nuvectra Corporation
$103
ABBVIE INC.
$94
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$83
GRT US Holding, Inc.
$71
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$63
Allergan, Inc.
$62
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$61
PFIZER INC.
$60
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$55
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$46
Curonix LLC
$36
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$23
SI-BONE, INC.
$23
Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc.
$20
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$20
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$19
MML US, Inc.
$18
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$17
VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INCORPORATED
$16
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 84.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADAPTIVESTIM · Algovita · BIOTRONIK · BOTOX · Belbuca · Bioness - Other · CLINICAL TRIAL PRODUCT · ETERNA · Evoke · Evoke SCS · Exparel · Fluid Systems - Drug Delivery Systems · FreeStyle Libre 2 · GENERAL THERAPIES · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · General - Pain Management · HORIZANT · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · Intracept · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · KYPHON EXPRESS II KYPHOPAK TRAY · LICART · MOVANTIK · Movantik · Nalu Neurostimulation System · OCTRODE · OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION · Omnia · PAINTEQ · PENTA · PNS FREEDOM-4A PERMANENT NEUROSTIMULATOR RECEIVER KIT CHANNEL A · PROCLAIM · Proclaim IPG · QUTENZA · Qutenza · RELISTOR · RESTORE · RINVOQ · ReActiv8 · SEGLENTIS · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SPRINT PNS System · Seglentis · Senza · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · Stimrouter Implantable Kit · Tirosint · WAVEWRITER ALPHA · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XTAMPZA · Xeomin · ZTLido · Zilretta · mild Device Kit
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 →
The majority of payments (58%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 6% for pain medicine in NC.
Geographic Context
Pain medicines within 10 mi
4
Per 100K population
0.4
County median income
$83,765
Nearest hospital
NOVANT HEALTH BALLANTYNE MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
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. Kumar is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 21% in NC), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 6% of NC peers.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Kumar experienced with dexamethasone injection (steroid)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kumar performed 1,730 dexamethasone injection (steroid) 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. Kumar receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kumar received a total of $122,086 from 38 companies across 474 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. Kumar's costs compare to other pain medicines in Charlotte?
Dr. Kumar's average Medicare payment per service is $45. 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. Kumar) 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.
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