Dr. Kara Chidester, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Chidester
Dr. Kara Chidester is a family medicine specialist in Columbus, OH, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chidester performed 1,366 Medicare services across 980 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chidester received a total of $268 from 6 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 11 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. Chidester 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
182 | $8 | $13 |
| 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. |
148 | $78 | $170 |
| 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. |
112 | $8 | $16 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
100 | $10 | $25 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
96 | $13 | $36 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
71 | $123 | $175 |
| 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. |
62 | $52 | $120 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
58 | $8 | $22 |
| 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. |
50 | $70 | $105 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
50 | $29 | $32 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
49 | $9 | $23 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
44 | $16 | $35 |
| Urine microalbumin test (kidney screening) A laboratory test that measures the amount of microalbumin, a small protein, in a urine sample. This test is used to detect early signs of kidney damage. |
40 | $6 | $31 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
40 | $5 | $28 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
33 | $29 | $70 |
| Liver enzyme (SGOT) level test A blood test that measures the level of the liver enzyme SGOT to help assess liver health. |
29 | $5 | $11 |
| Liver enzyme (SGPT) level test A blood test that measures the level of the liver enzyme SGPT to assess liver function. |
28 | $5 | $11 |
| SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, 30 mcg/0.3 mL Administration of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccine containing 30 micrograms of antigen in a 0.3 milliliter dose. |
24 | $39 | $50 |
| Urine culture, bacterial identification A laboratory test that grows and identifies bacteria from a urine sample to detect infections. |
18 | $8 | $22 |
| COVID-19 vaccine administration Administration of a single dose of the coronavirus vaccine. |
17 | $37 | $50 |
| COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna bivalent) An intramuscular injection of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine containing 50 micrograms in a 0.5 mL dose. |
17 | $135 | $190 |
| 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. |
17 | $8 | $75 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
16 | $2 | $16 |
| 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. |
14 | $14 | $69 |
| 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. |
14 | $280 | $410 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
13 | $15 | $70 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
13 | $29 | $45 |
| Initial preventive physical examination, new Medicare beneficiary A comprehensive preventive health visit for new Medicare beneficiaries during their first 12 months of enrollment. The service is conducted as a face-to-face visit and is limited to preventive care. |
11 | $158 | $284 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (84%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
3.1 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. Chidester is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 14% in OH), 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
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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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