Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Karthik Dwarki, MD

Interventional Pain Medicine Physician · Pittsburgh, PA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1145 BOWER HILL RD STE 105, Pittsburgh, PA 15243
4128667246
In practice since 2016 (10 years)
NPI: 1982059648 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. Dwarki 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. Dwarki

Dr. Karthik Dwarki is an interventional pain medicine physician in Pittsburgh, PA, with 10 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Dwarki performed 1,767 Medicare services across 685 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Dwarki received a total of $4,897 from 19 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 121 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in interventional pain medicine physician. 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. Dwarki 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.

✓ 10 years in practice ▲ Top 30% volume in PA $4,897 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,767
Medicare services
Top 30% in PA for interventional pain medicine physician
685
Unique beneficiaries
$39
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~177 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
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
926 $1 $5
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.
248 $60 $190
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.
129 $93 $285
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.
109 $0 $5
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.
84 $194 $1,875
Bupivacaine injection, 0.5 mg
An injection of bupivacaine, a local anesthetic, administered in a dose of 0.5 mg.
42 $0 $16
New patient office visit (45-59 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter.
40 $127 $475
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.
35 $132 $589
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity
Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
30 $97 $300
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity
Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service.
25 $58 $265
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
19 $58 $315
Spinal injection with imaging guidance
A procedure where medication is injected into the middle or upper part of the spinal canal. Imaging technology is used to guide the needle to the correct location.
19 $194 $2,055
Anesthesia for cataract/lens surgery
Administration of anesthesia during eye lens surgery. This code covers the anesthetic service provided for the procedure.
17 $55 $409
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.
15 $186 $1,235
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.
15 $96 $494
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.
14 $76 $380
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.
1.0% high complexity
71.5% medium
27.5% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$4,897
Total received (2021-2024)
Avg $1,224/year across 4 years
Top 32% in PA for interventional pain medicine physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
19
Companies
121
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
$4,897 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,363
2023
$937
2022
$666
2021
$1,931

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Abbott Laboratories
$501
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$230
Medtronic, Inc.
$179
Boston Scientific Corporation
$159
Virtus Pharmaceuticals LLC
$136
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$59
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$31
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$24
ABBVIE INC.
$15
SI-BONE, INC.
$15
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 66.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2021-2024) ›
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,850
Abbott Laboratories
$858
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$400
Nevro Corp.
$350
Boston Scientific Corporation
$321
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$302
SI-BONE, INC.
$199
SI-BONE, Inc.
$198
Virtus Pharmaceuticals LLC
$136
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$68
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$59
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$31
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$23
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$22
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$17
OWP Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
HydroCision, Inc.
$17
ABBVIE INC.
$15
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 63.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BOTOX · Belbuca · ELYXYB - celecoxib · ETERNA · Exparel · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · General - Pain Management · IFUSE IMPLANT · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · Intracept · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · LEVORPHANOL TARTRATE · Nalu Neurostimulation System · Omnia · PENTA · PROCLAIM · Prialt · Proclaim IPG · RELISTOR · SPRINT PNS System · SUBVENITE · SYNCHROMEDII · Senza · TENJET · VANTA ADAPTIVESTIM · VECTRIS SURESCAN · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · ZTLido
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 an interventional pain medicine physician in Pittsburgh?
Compare interventional pain medicine physicians in the Pittsburgh area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse interventional pain medicine physicians nearby

Geographic Context

Interventional pain medicine physicians within 10 mi
7
Per 100K population
0.6
County median income
$76,393
Nearest hospital
ST CLAIR HOSPITAL
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. Dwarki is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 30% in PA), with low-engagement industry engagement.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Dwarki experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Dwarki performed 926 steroid injection (triamcinolone) 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. Dwarki receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Dwarki received a total of $4,897 from 19 companies across 121 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. Dwarki's costs compare to other interventional pain medicine physicians in Pittsburgh?
Dr. Dwarki's average Medicare payment per service is $39. 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. Dwarki) 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 →