Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Palestro, MD

Nuclear Medicine · New Hyde Park, NY
Practice pattern: Cardiac Imaging — Practice with significant diagnostic imaging and stress testing
Low-engagement
LIJMC DEPT OF MEDICINE DIVISION OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE, New Hyde Park, NY 11040
7184707081
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1891855946 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. Palestro 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. Palestro? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Palestro

Dr. Christopher Palestro is a nuclear medicine specialist in New Hyde Park, NY, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Palestro performed 526 Medicare services across 521 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Palestro received a total of $25 from 1 pharmaceutical and/or device company across 1 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in nuclear 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. Palestro 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ 526 Medicare services $25 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
526
Medicare services
Bottom 32% in NY for nuclear medicine
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
521
Unique beneficiaries
$45
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
SPECT nuclear medicine scan, 1 area
A nuclear medicine imaging test using a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan to create detailed images of one specific area of the body.
 163 $43 $270
SPECT/CT scan, single area
A nuclear medicine imaging study that combines single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with a concurrent CT scan to create detailed images of a single body area.
 109 $59 $373
Lung ventilation and perfusion scan
A nuclear medicine test that uses radioactive tracers to evaluate both air flow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion) in the lungs.
 49 $43 $248
Nuclear medicine stomach emptying study
A nuclear medicine test used to assess how quickly the stomach empties its contents.
 47 $33 $189
Whole body bone and joint nuclear medicine scan
A nuclear medicine imaging test that uses a radioactive tracer to create pictures of the entire skeleton and joints. This scan helps evaluate bone health and detect abnormalities throughout the body.
 30 $36 $211
Parathyroid nuclear medicine study with SPECT/CT
A nuclear medicine imaging test that uses a radioactive tracer to visualize the parathyroid glands, combined with SPECT and CT scans for detailed anatomical localization.
 28 $63 $389
Lymphatic system nuclear medicine study
A nuclear medicine imaging test used to evaluate the structure and function of the lymphatic system.
 20 $50 $297
Nuclear medicine liver and bile duct scan
A nuclear medicine imaging test to evaluate the liver and bile duct system.
 16 $30 $190
Nuclear medicine kidney study with drug administration
A nuclear medicine test that evaluates kidney blood flow and function using a radioactive tracer and drug administration.
 16 $50 $296
Simple insertion of temporary bladder tube
A procedure to place a temporary tube into the bladder. This allows for the drainage of urine from the bladder.
 13 $23 $518
Nuclear medicine liver and bile duct study with drugs
A nuclear medicine imaging test to examine the liver and bile duct system using administered drugs.
 13 $38 $228
Bone scan with multiple time points
A nuclear medicine imaging test that captures images of the bones at various intervals to assess bone health and detect abnormalities.
 11 $43 $249
Lung ventilation and perfusion scan
A nuclear medicine test that uses radioactive tracers to evaluate both air flow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion) in the lungs.
 11 $31 $169
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.
11.4% high complexity
84.0% medium
4.6% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2018 ↗
$25
Total received (2018-2018)
Bottom 16% in NY for nuclear medicine
1
Company
1
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
$25 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2018
$25

Payments by company (2018)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Advanced Accelerator Applications
$25
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2018 payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
LUTATHERA (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate)
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for a nuclear medicine specialist in New Hyde Park?
Compare nuclear medicines in the New Hyde Park area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Nuclear medicines within 10 mi
91
Per 100K population
6.6
County median income
$143,408
Nearest hospital
LONG ISLAND JEWISH 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 2018
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. Palestro is a cardiac imaging specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 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. Palestro experienced with spect nuclear medicine scan, 1 area?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Palestro performed 163 spect nuclear medicine scan, 1 area 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. Palestro receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Palestro received a total of $25 from 1 company across 1 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. Palestro's costs compare to other nuclear medicines in New Hyde Park?
Dr. Palestro'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. Palestro) 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.

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 →