Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Ajay Sheshadri, MD

Pulmonary Disease · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
1515 HOLCOMBE BLVD, Houston, TX 77030
7137926161
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1801096854 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. Sheshadri 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. Sheshadri

Dr. Ajay Sheshadri is a pulmonary disease specialist in Houston, TX, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sheshadri performed 583 Medicare services across 573 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sheshadri received a total of $23,108 from 6 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 15 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pulmonary disease. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Sheshadri 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.

✓ 18 years in practice ▲ 583 Medicare services $23,108 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
583
Medicare services
Bottom 34% in TX for pulmonary disease
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
573
Unique beneficiaries
$49
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~32 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
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.
102 $105 $540
Pulmonary gas exchange test
A test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases.
84 $7 $87
Lung volume test using sensors
A test that measures the amount of air in the lungs using sensors.
81 $9 $134
Expiratory airflow and volume test
A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed at which you can breathe it out. It evaluates lung function by assessing expiratory airflow and volume.
76 $6 $137
Bronchial irrigation and suction for cell collection
This procedure uses an endoscope to flush and suction the lung airways in order to collect cells for testing.
57 $107 $1,620
Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes
Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older.
56 $10 $120
Exercise-induced lung stress test
A test performed to evaluate how the lungs function during physical exertion. It helps identify breathing difficulties or lung conditions that occur specifically when exercising.
29 $17 $218
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.
27 $73 $266
Chest fluid aspiration with imaging guidance
This procedure involves removing fluid from the chest cavity using imaging technology to guide the needle placement.
23 $86 $1,301
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.
14 $101 $466
Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity
Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
12 $96 $290
Insertion of chest tube for lung fluid drainage
A procedure to place a tube into the chest cavity to drain excess fluid from around the lungs.
11 $165 $4,368
Radiologist review of drainage imaging
A radiologist reviews medical images to assess the drainage of fluid.
11 $45 $567
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 ↗
$23,108
Total received (2022-2024)
Avg $7,703/year across 3 years
Top 10% in TX for pulmonary disease
6
Companies
15
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$19,321 (83.6%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$3,750 (16.2%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$37 (0.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$16,039
2023
$5,250
2022
$1,819

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$12,039
ADC Therapeutics America, Inc.
$5,250
PFIZER INC.
$3,750
Nabriva Therapeutics, plc
$1,782
Canon Medical Systems Corporation
$250
Genentech, Inc.
$37
Top 3 companies account for 91.0% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AZE Virtual Place · Esbriet · Vitrea Advanced Visualization · Xenleta
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 →

The majority of payments (84%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for pulmonary disease in TX.

Equivalent to $3,964 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a pulmonary disease specialist in Houston?
Compare pulmonary diseases in the Houston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Pulmonary diseases within 10 mi
136
Per 100K population
2.9
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
MEMORIAL HERMANN - TEXAS 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 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. Sheshadri is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 10% of TX peers, with 18 years of NPI registration.

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. Sheshadri experienced with initial hospital admission, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Sheshadri performed 102 initial hospital admission, moderate complexity 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. Sheshadri receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Sheshadri received a total of $23,108 from 6 companies across 15 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. Sheshadri's costs compare to other pulmonary diseases in Houston?
Dr. Sheshadri's average Medicare payment per service is $49. 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. Sheshadri) 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. 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.

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 →