Dr. Balesh Sharma, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Sharma
Dr. Balesh Sharma is a hematology & oncology in Brownsville, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sharma performed 18,765 Medicare services across 2,629 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sharma received a total of $7,461 from 50 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 175 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in hematology & oncology. 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. Sharma is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron sucrose injection (Venofer) | 7,200 | $0 | $2 |
| Epoetin alfa injection (Retacrit) for anemia | 2,950 | $6 | $28 |
| Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) | 1,926 | $0 | $3 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential | 1,068 | $8 | $36 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 940 | $87 | $368 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel | 861 | $10 | $64 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) | 785 | $8 | $20 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) | 354 | $0 | $1 |
| Iron level test | 309 | $6 | $27 |
| Iron binding capacity test | 309 | $9 | $35 |
| Ferritin level test (iron stores) | 307 | $13 | $60 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle | 218 | $10 | $96 |
| Lactate dehydrogenase (enzyme) level | 196 | $6 | $31 |
| Reticulated (young) platelet measurement | 146 | $35 | $143 |
| Administration of chemotherapy into vein, 1 hour or less | 140 | $93 | $707 |
| Infusion into a vein for therapy, prevention, or diagnosis, 1 hour or less | 137 | $46 | $313 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 118 | $62 | $250 |
| Injection, zoledronic acid, 1 mg | 106 | $6 | $431 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 80 | $117 | $565 |
| Microscopic examination for white blood cells with manual cell count | 79 | $4 | $22 |
| Complete blood count (CBC), automated | 79 | $6 | $34 |
| Infusion into a vein for therapy, prevention, or diagnosis, additional sequential infusion, 1 hour or less | 65 | $20 | $157 |
| Injection of additional new drug or substance into vein | 58 | $11 | $108 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) | 53 | $18 | $94 |
| Administration of chemotherapy into vein, each additional hour | 53 | $21 | $161 |
| Administration of additional new drug or substance into vein, 1 hour or less | 41 | $45 | $344 |
| Nuclear medicine study from skull base to mid-thigh with ct scan | 37 | $1,082 | $4,802 |
| Fluorodeoxyglucose f-18 fdg, diagnostic, per study dose, up to 45 millicuries | 34 | $90 | $657 |
| Irrigation of implanted venous access drug delivery device | 28 | $16 | $114 |
| Biopsy and aspiration of bone marrow sample for diagnosis | 19 | $129 | $523 |
| Ct scan of chest with contrast | 16 | $47 | $821 |
| CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast | 15 | $175 | $1,067 |
| Red blood count automated, with additional calculations | 14 | $5 | $26 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity | 13 | $108 | $694 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel | 11 | $8 | $49 |
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)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (96%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
9.0 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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Sharma is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 years of practice experience.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Sharma experienced with iron sucrose injection (venofer)?
Does Dr. Sharma receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Sharma's costs compare to other hematology & oncologys in Brownsville?
What does Data Coverage mean?
Is this data up to date?
Explore related providers
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. The Transparency Score measures 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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