Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Michael Desantis, M.D.
Family Medicine · Hickory, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Desantis 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. Desantis
Dr. Michael Desantis is a family medicine specialist in Hickory, NC, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Desantis performed 5,945 Medicare services across 3,671 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Desantis received a total of $10,618 from 70 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 673 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. 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. Desantis 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 3% volume in NC
$10,618 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗5,945
Medicare services
Top 3% in NC for family medicine
3,671
Unique beneficiaries
$44
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~297 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
800 | $83 | $282 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
544 | $8 | $48 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
512 | $8 | $16 |
| Liver function blood test panel | 458 | $8 | $40 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
397 | $13 | $60 |
| Nursing facility visit, moderate complexity A follow-up visit by a healthcare provider at a nursing facility for an established patient. The visit involves moderate medical decision making and takes at least 30 minutes. |
332 | $78 | $100 |
| 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. |
302 | $61 | $198 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
299 | $8 | $25 |
| Nursing facility visit, low complexity A daily follow-up visit for an existing patient in a nursing facility involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit requires at least 15 minutes of time if time is used to determine the level of care. |
234 | $56 | $74 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
217 | $9 | $50 |
| Home visit, established patient, moderate complexity A home visit for an established patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 40 minutes of time if time is used to determine the level of service. |
187 | $96 | $144 |
| Initial nursing facility care, moderate complexity Initial care provided to a patient in a nursing facility with moderate medical decision making, taking at least 35 minutes. |
179 | $101 | $140 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
179 | $121 | $165 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
171 | $16 | $50 |
| Home visit, established patient, low complexity A physician visits an existing patient at their residence to provide care involving a low level of medical decision making. The visit lasts at least 30 minutes. |
164 | $57 | $91 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
144 | $29 | $38 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
139 | $71 | $88 |
| Respiratory virus detection test A laboratory test using immunoassay techniques to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and influenza viruses. |
82 | $47 | $150 |
| Ceftriaxone antibiotic injection This code represents the administration of ceftriaxone sodium, an antibiotic medication. The charge is calculated for every 250 mg of the drug administered. |
76 | $0 | $9 |
| Nursing facility visit, established patient, straightforward A follow-up visit by a healthcare provider at a nursing facility for an established patient. The visit involves straightforward medical decision making and lasts at least 10 minutes. |
66 | $30 | $47 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
65 | $3 | $33 |
| Annual depression screening | 52 | $17 | $25 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
49 | $19 | $75 |
| Chest X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the chest that captures two different angles to visualize the lungs, heart, and chest wall. |
39 | $17 | $60 |
| 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. |
33 | $10 | $40 |
| Home visit, established patient, straightforward decision making A home visit for an established patient involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit lasts at least 15 minutes when time is used to determine the level of service. |
33 | $33 | $55 |
| Transitional care management, high complexity Coordination of care for a patient transitioning from a short-term hospital stay or other facility to home or another care setting. This service addresses a high-complexity medical problem. |
31 | $197 | $320 |
| 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. |
26 | $101 | $285 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
26 | $27 | $36 |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) An intramuscular injection of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It is used to protect against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. |
23 | $263 | $397 |
| Detection test by immunoassay technique for streptococcus, group a (strep) | 20 | $16 | $40 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
19 | $10 | $48 |
| Transitional care management services, moderate complexity Services provided to coordinate care during the transition from an inpatient or other facility setting back to the community. This includes follow-up and management of a health problem of at least moderate complexity. |
19 | $156 | $250 |
| Initial nursing facility care with straightforward or low level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 25 minutes | 17 | $61 | $96 |
| 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. |
11 | $62 | $249 |
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 ↗$10,618
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,517/year across 7 years
Top 4% in NC for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
70
Companies
673
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
$10,518 (99.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$100 (0.9%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,406
2023
$1,234
2022
$1,736
2021
$1,312
2020
$1,329
2019
$1,697
2018
$1,904
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$277
PFIZER INC.
$194
Amgen Inc.
$180
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$136
Novo Nordisk Inc
$84
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$58
ABBVIE INC.
$55
Ardelyx, Inc.
$49
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$37
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$35
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$34
Tris Pharma Inc
$34
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$33
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$31
Dexcom, Inc.
$23
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$19
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$18
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$18
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$17
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$16
Lilly USA, LLC
$16
Exact Sciences Corporation
$14
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$14
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 46.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$1,023
Amgen Inc.
$963
PFIZER INC.
$863
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$702
PREVENTRIC DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
$569
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$541
Lilly USA, LLC
$529
Novo Nordisk Inc
$516
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$511
AbbVie Inc.
$411
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$296
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$276
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$234
ABBVIE INC.
$228
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$224
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$184
Allergan, Inc.
$181
Allergan Inc.
$178
AbbVie, Inc.
$124
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$121
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$112
Neos Therapeutics, LP
$96
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$91
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$89
Shire North American Group Inc
$89
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$85
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$75
Nevro Corp.
$75
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$70
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$70
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$67
Tris Pharma Inc
$60
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$54
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$53
Ardelyx, Inc.
$49
Genentech USA, Inc.
$47
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$46
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$43
Mannkind Corporation
$36
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$36
Cranial Technologies, Inc
$34
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$34
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$33
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$31
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$31
Exact Sciences Corporation
$31
Adlon Therapeutics L.P.
$26
Purdue Pharma L.P.
$25
Lundbeck LLC
$25
Dexcom, Inc.
$23
Boston Scientific Corporation
$21
IMPEL PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$19
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$18
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
Eisai Inc.
$17
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$17
Organon LLC
$17
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$16
Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
$16
Ironshore Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$16
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$15
Biogen, Inc.
$15
EISAI INC.
$15
Almatica Pharma LLC
$14
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$13
ITI, Inc.
$13
Abbott Laboratories
$13
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$12
Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
$12
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 26.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADHANSIA XR · AFREZZA · AIRSUPRA · AJOVY · AMYVID · ANORO · ANORO ELLIPTA · AREXVY · Adzenys XR-ODT · Aimovig · Amitiza · Androgel · Auvelity · BAQSIMI · BASAGLAR · BELSOMRA · BEXSERO · BPRO BT AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM · BREO · BREZTRI · BYSTOLIC · CAPLYTA · CHANTIX · COMIRNATY · CYCLOSET · Cologuard Collection Kit · Dayvigo · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · Doc Band · Dyanavel XR · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · EUCRISA · EVENITY · FARXIGA · FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE · FreeStyle Libre · GARDASIL · GATTEX · GEMTESA · GRALISE · GVOKE HYPOPEN · GVOKE PFS · General - Pain Management · IBSRELA · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · Jornay PM 20mg capsules (Bottle of 100) · Kerendia · LINZESS · LYRICA · Licart · Livalo · MENACTRA · MOTEGRITY · MOUNJARO · MYDAYIS · MYRBETRIQ · Motegrity · NEXLETOL · NEXPLANON · NURTEC ODT · NUZYRA · OXTELLAR XR · Omnia · Otezla · Ozempic · PNEUMOVAX 23 · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · PREMARIN · PREVNAR - 13 · PREVNAR 13 · PREVNAR 20 · Prolia · QELBREE · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · REXULTI · ROTATEQ · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SILENOR · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SPINRAZA · STEGLATRO · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · SYMBICORT · SYMPROIC · SYNTHROID · Synthroid · TOUJEO · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TROKENDI XR · TRULANCE · TRULICITY · TRUMENBA · Tirosint · Tresiba · Trintellix · Trudhesa · UBRELVY · UNITHROID · VIBERZI · VOQUEZNA · VRAYLAR · VYEPTI · VYVANSE · Vascepa · Veozah · Victoza · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · Xofluza · ZENPEP
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 4% for family medicine in NC.
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
200
Per 100K population
123.4
County median income
$64,544
Nearest hospital
FRYE REGIONAL 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. Desantis is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 4% of NC peers, with 20 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. Desantis experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Desantis performed 800 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Desantis receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Desantis received a total of $10,618 from 70 companies across 673 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. Desantis's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Hickory?
Dr. Desantis's average Medicare payment per service is $44. 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. Desantis) 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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