Dr. Diwaker Balachandran, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Balachandran
Dr. Diwaker Balachandran is a pulmonary disease in Houston, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Balachandran performed 756 Medicare services across 730 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Balachandran received a total of $76 from 3 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 3 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pulmonary disease. 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. Balachandran 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity | 102 | $104 | $538 |
| Test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases | 76 | $6 | $87 |
| Test to determine lung volumes using sensors | 73 | $8 | $134 |
| Test to measure expiratory airflow and volume | 72 | $6 | $137 |
| Initial hospital care with straightforward or low level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 40 minutes | 64 | $65 | $397 |
| Irrigation and suction of lung airways to obtain cells using an endoscope | 50 | $107 | $1,612 |
| Aspiration of fluid from chest cavity using imaging guidance | 49 | $86 | $1,311 |
| Use of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by physician performing a procedure (5 years or older), initial 15 minutes | 47 | $10 | $120 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) | 38 | $65 | $324 |
| Test for exercise-induced lung stress | 30 | $15 | $218 |
| Sleep study including heart rate, breathing, airflow, and effort | 27 | $35 | $571 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity | 27 | $140 | $673 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 25 | $108 | $510 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 21 | $53 | $171 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 20 | $79 | $266 |
| Insertion of indwelling tube for drainage of lung fluid | 18 | $165 | $5,248 |
| Review by radiologist of image for drainage of fluid | 17 | $45 | $556 |
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
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. Balachandran 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. Balachandran experienced with initial hospital admission, moderate complexity?
Does Dr. Balachandran receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Balachandran's costs compare to other pulmonary diseases in Houston?
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.
Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology