Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Shankar Santhanam, MD

Family Medicine · Lawrenceville, NJ
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1950 BRUNSWICK AVE, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
6093926366
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1982691432 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. Santhanam 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. Santhanam

Dr. Shankar Santhanam is a family medicine specialist in Lawrenceville, NJ, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Santhanam performed 566 Medicare services across 487 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Santhanam received a total of $20,179 from 51 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 816 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. Santhanam 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 ▲ 566 Medicare services $20,179 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
566
Medicare services
Bottom 47% in NJ for family medicine
487
Unique beneficiaries
$53
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~28 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.
122 $46 $562
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.
89 $42 $400
Annual wellness visit, follow-up
A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service.
89 $50 $575
Annual depression screening 86 $20 $84
Flu vaccine administration
This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient.
48 $33 $104
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.
36 $71 $280
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.
33 $265 $1,135
Pneumonia vaccine administration
This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider.
31 $33 $103
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.
20 $9 $69
Quadrivalent influenza vaccine, preservative-free
A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus, formulated without preservatives, administered in a 0.5 ml dose.
12 $18 $87
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 ↗
$20,179
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,883/year across 7 years
Top 1% in NJ for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
51
Companies
816
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
$12,435 (61.6%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$6,466 (32.0%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$1,278 (6.3%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,503
2023
$649
2022
$1,589
2021
$3,907
2020
$2,021
2019
$2,375
2018
$8,134

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$569
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$343
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$164
ABBVIE INC.
$156
Lilly USA, LLC
$97
Amgen Inc.
$70
Abbott Laboratories
$40
Novo Nordisk Inc
$34
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$16
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 71.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$6,296
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$2,338
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$1,475
Novo Nordisk Inc
$1,377
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,278
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$884
Amgen Inc.
$820
Lilly USA, LLC
$593
AbbVie Inc.
$421
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$331
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$307
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$304
AbbVie, Inc.
$296
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$287
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$271
Allergan, Inc.
$268
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$267
ABBVIE INC.
$257
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$215
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$211
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$204
PFIZER INC.
$179
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$164
Allergan Inc.
$159
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$125
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$94
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$93
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$64
IRONWOOD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
$62
Abbott Laboratories
$58
Boston Scientific Corporation
$49
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$42
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$42
EISAI INC.
$42
Eisai Inc.
$38
Medicure Pharma Inc.
$28
Ascensia Diabetes Care US Inc.
$28
Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
$26
Kaleo, Inc.
$23
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$16
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$16
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
OptiNose US, Inc.
$14
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$14
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$14
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$13
VIVUS, Inc.
$12
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$11
Shire North American Group Inc
$11
Top 3 companies account for 50.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADACEL · AIRSUPRA · AJOVY · ANORO · ANORO ELLIPTA · AREXVY · Aimovig · AirDuo Digihaler · AirDuo RespiClick · Amitiza · Auvi-Q · BASAGLAR · BELSOMRA · BREO · BREZTRI · BREZTRI AEROSPHERE · BYSTOLIC · Belviq · CHANTIX · CONTRAVE · CREON · Creon · Dexilant · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · EUCRISA · EUFLEXXA · EVENITY · Edarbyclor · FARXIGA · FASENRA · FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · GARDASIL · GEMTESA · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · GVOKE HYPOPEN · HUMIRA · Horizant · Humira · INJECTAFER · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · Kerendia · LANTUS · LINZESS · LONHALA MAGNAIR · Linzess · Livalo · MOTEGRITY · MOUNJARO · MYRBETRIQ · Motegrity · Myrbetriq · NASCOBAL · NURTEC ODT · NUZYRA · Otezla · Ozempic · PENNSAID · PNEUMOVAX 23 · PRALUENT · PREVNAR - 13 · PREVNAR 13 · Prolia · QSYMIA · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · RELISTOR ORAL · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SPIRIVA · SPIRIVA RESPIMAT · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · SYMBICORT · SYNJARDY · Saxenda · Sunosi · TOUJEO · TRADJENTA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TRULANCE · TRULICITY · Tresiba · Trintellix · Trulance · UBRELVY · Utibron · VIBERZI · VOQUEZNA · VRAYLAR · VYVANSE · Vascepa · Victoza · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · Xhance · Xultophy 100/3.6 · ZENPEP · ZYPITAMAG
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 (62%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for family medicine in NJ.

Looking for a family medicine specialist in Lawrenceville?
Compare family medicine physicians in the Lawrenceville area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
1,113
Per 100K population
290.4
County median income
$96,333
Nearest hospital
CAPITAL HEALTH REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
3.2 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. Santhanam is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 1% of NJ 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. Santhanam experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Santhanam performed 122 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. Santhanam receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Santhanam received a total of $20,179 from 51 companies across 816 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. Santhanam's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Lawrenceville?
Dr. Santhanam's average Medicare payment per service is $53. 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. Santhanam) 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 →