Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Sanjay Kunapuli, MD
Interventional Cardiology · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
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. Kunapuli 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 →
Are you Dr. Kunapuli?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Kunapuli
Dr. Sanjay Kunapuli is an interventional cardiology specialist in Houston, TX, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kunapuli performed 4,552 Medicare services across 3,341 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kunapuli received a total of $309,823 from 59 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 835 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in interventional cardiology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Kunapuli 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
▲ Top 16% volume in TX
$309,823 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗4,552
Medicare services
Top 16% in TX for interventional cardiology
3,341
Unique beneficiaries
$93
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~253 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| EKG interpretation and report A standard electrocardiogram test that records the heart's electrical activity using at least 12 leads. The service includes a professional interpretation of the results and a written report. |
621 | $6 | $50 |
| 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. |
583 | $91 | $314 |
| Regadenoson injection (Lexiscan) for heart stress test An injection of regadenoson, a medication used to stress the heart during diagnostic testing. |
500 | $44 | $212 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
393 | $143 | $1,461 |
| Remote cardiac rhythm monitor evaluation, up to 30 days Review and analysis of data from a remote cardiac rhythm monitoring system over a period of up to 30 days. |
280 | $21 | $120 |
| Technetium Tc-99m tetrofosmin diagnostic injection A diagnostic injection of Technetium Tc-99m tetrofosmin used for imaging studies. |
259 | $25 | $35 |
| 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. |
242 | $10 | $126 |
| Nuclear stress test of heart muscle A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow to the heart muscle at rest and during stress using a special camera. |
137 | $352 | $3,509 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram under physician supervision and review. |
136 | $50 | $406 |
| Cardiac rhythm monitor evaluation Review and analysis of data recorded by a cardiac rhythm monitoring device to assess heart activity. |
128 | $38 | $168 |
| 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. |
126 | $10 | $64 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
110 | $135 | $588 |
| 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. |
94 | $70 | $212 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 86 | $160 | $600 |
| Cardiac catheterization | 58 | $182 | $1,310 |
| Arterial tube insertion into lung lobe A procedure involving the placement of a tube into an artery within a specific lobe of the lung. |
48 | $68 | $932 |
| Drug infusion during cardiac catheterization Administration of medication through a catheter inserted into the heart during a cardiac catheterization procedure. |
45 | $77 | $442 |
| Vein catheterization, first order branch Insertion of a tube into a vein that is a primary branch of a larger vessel. |
42 | $64 | $833 |
| 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. |
42 | $92 | $302 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
40 | $120 | $421 |
| Insertion of vena cava tube A procedure to place a tube into the vena cava, the large vein that carries blood to the heart. |
35 | $42 | $772 |
| Pacemaker system evaluation Assessment of a pacemaker device, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless systems. |
35 | $41 | $175 |
| Insertion of tube into second-order vein branch A procedure involving the placement of a tube into a secondary branch of a vein. |
32 | $72 | $1,116 |
| Radiologist review of lower body vein image A radiologist reviews images of the major veins in the lower body to assess their structure and function. |
31 | $41 | $209 |
| Ultrasound of heart blood vessel or graft An ultrasound exam to evaluate blood flow in a heart blood vessel or graft, including a radiologist's review of the initial vessel. |
31 | $74 | $403 |
| Coronary stent placement A procedure to insert a stent into a coronary artery or its branch to keep it open, using balloon dilation during the process. |
30 | $466 | $2,405 |
| Transesophageal echocardiogram An ultrasound of the heart performed using a probe inserted into the esophagus to obtain detailed images of heart structures and function. |
27 | $85 | $503 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
26 | $2 | $252 |
| 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. |
26 | $129 | $483 |
| Insertion of implantable heart rhythm monitor A small device is placed under the skin to continuously record the heart's electrical activity. This helps detect irregular heart rhythms that may not appear during a standard office visit. |
25 | $3,509 | $26,634 |
| Pulmonary artery catheter insertion A procedure to insert a tube into the left or right pulmonary artery. |
24 | $61 | $807 |
| Arterial clot removal, subsequent vessels This procedure involves the removal and dissolving of a blood clot from an artery or artery graft using fluoroscopic guidance for subsequent vessels. |
22 | $131 | $1,034 |
| Insertion of tube in right and left heart chambers and coronary artery for diagnosis with review by radiologist | 22 | $235 | $1,642 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in the arm or leg. The test uses sound waves to check blood flow and may include compression and other maneuvers. |
21 | $146 | $1,028 |
| Review by radiologist of both arms and legs veins of both arms or legs image | 19 | $52 | $193 |
| Vena cava filter insertion with radiologist review A procedure to place a filter in the vena cava to prevent blood clots from traveling to the lungs, including review by a radiologist. |
16 | $98 | $1,204 |
| Arterial catheter insertion, initial second order branch Insertion of a tube into a chest or arm artery, specifically targeting the initial second order branch. |
15 | $116 | $1,416 |
| Radiologist review of arm or leg vein image A radiologist reviews an image of a vein in one arm or leg. |
15 | $38 | $130 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
15 | $69 | $451 |
| Blood clot removal and dissolution from vein A procedure to remove and dissolve a blood clot from a vein using fluoroscopic guidance for the initial treatment. |
14 | $281 | $2,607 |
| External shock to heart to regulate heart beat A procedure that delivers an electric shock to the heart from outside the body to restore a normal heart rhythm. |
14 | $87 | $540 |
| Additional heart vessel ultrasound evaluation An additional ultrasound assessment of a specific heart blood vessel or graft, including radiologist review. |
14 | $61 | $309 |
| Insertion of tube into right heart or main pulmonary artery | 13 | $50 | $679 |
| Implantable defibrillator system check A check of the implanted defibrillator device to ensure it is functioning correctly. This evaluation covers single, dual, or multiple lead systems. |
13 | $52 | $268 |
| Follow-up ultrasound of heart blood flow, valves and chambers An ultrasound exam that follows up on the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. It uses sound waves to create images of the heart's structure and function. |
13 | $6 | $34 |
| Arterial catheter insertion, first order branch Placement of a catheter into a primary branch of an artery in the chest or arm. |
12 | $85 | $1,255 |
| Artery clot removal and dissolution with fluoroscopy This procedure removes and dissolves a blood clot from an artery or artery graft using fluoroscopic guidance. It is performed on the initial vessel treated. |
11 | $346 | $2,807 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
11 | $150 | $1,003 |
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.
14.9% high complexity
25.9% medium
59.2% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$309,823
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $44,260/year across 7 years
Top 2% in TX for interventional cardiology
59
Companies
835
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.
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$272,481 (87.9%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$22,285 (7.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$15,057 (4.9%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$21,507
2023
$35,987
2022
$54,550
2021
$19,502
2020
$33,648
2019
$86,058
2018
$58,571
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$204,857
Inari Medical, Inc.
$44,234
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$25,160
Abbott Laboratories
$23,579
Penumbra, Inc.
$2,338
Boston Scientific Corporation
$1,250
Amgen Inc.
$760
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$753
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$684
ABIOMED
$518
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$482
Biosense Webster, Inc.
$338
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$302
BIOTRONIK INC.
$290
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$265
Medtronic, Inc.
$264
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$259
PFIZER INC.
$227
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$218
Baxter Healthcare
$216
HeartFlow, Inc.
$185
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$183
HEARTFLOW, INC.
$164
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$162
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$160
BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
$157
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$157
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$137
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$129
Cardinal Health 200, LLC
$119
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$112
Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
$106
ATRICURE, INC.
$98
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$81
Cook Medical LLC
$78
Novo Nordisk Inc
$76
CARDIVA MEDICAL, INC.
$63
Itamar Medical Inc
$55
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$51
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$51
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$51
GE HEALTHCARE
$49
AltaThera Pharmaceuticals LLC
$42
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$41
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$39
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$38
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$38
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$29
Lundbeck LLC
$22
SCPHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$22
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$19
Aziyo Biologics, Inc.
$19
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$17
Teleflex LLC
$17
Preventice Services, LLC
$16
Dilon Technologies, Inc.
$13
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$13
ConvaTec Inc.
$12
Allergan Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 88.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADROIT Guiding Catheter · ADVANCE · ALPHAVAC · AMPLATZER AMULET · ANGIOJET · AQUACEL AG+ EXTRA · ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM · Accent Pacemaker · Advance · Arcalyst · Assurity Pacemaker · BIOMONITOR · BYSTOLIC · BodyGuardian · CAMZYOS · CARDIOMEMS · CARDIVA VASCADE 6/7F VCS · CARTO 3 · CHANTIX · COBALT DR MRI SURESCAN · CONFIRM RX · COOK CELECT · CRT Leads · CT THROMBECTOMY SYSTEM KIT · Cardiac Mapping System · CardioMEMS HF System · Circulatory Support · ClosureRFS · Confirm Rx · Connectivity and Remote care · CoreValve Evolut · Corlanor · DRAGONFLY OPSTAR · Durata Defibrillation ICD Lead · ECM · EDARBI · ELIQUIS · ENSITE · ENSITE PRECISION · ENTRESTO · Edarbi · EnSite Precision Cardiac Mapping System · Ensite Cardiac Mapping System · Epic Stented Tissue Valve · FARXIGA · FFRct · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · FUROSCIX · Flexitouch Plus · GALLANT · Hillrom - Cardiac Ambulatory Monitor · Hillrom - Carnation Ambulatory Monitor · ICDs · Impella · Indigo System · Inpefa · JARDIANCE · JOT DX · KENGREAL · LEQVIO · LIFESTENT · LINQ II · LUTONIX · LUX-DX · LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor · LifeVest · Livalo · MERLIN@HOME · MULTAQ · Merlin Connectivity and Remote · NEXLETOL · NEXLIZET · NORTHERA · OPSUMIT · OPSUMIT MACITENTAN · OPTIMIZER · Optimizer · Ozempic · PRALUENT · PRESSUREWIRE · Pacemakers · Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy System · RESONATE EL ICD VR · ROTABLATOR · Repatha · Resolute · Reveal LINQ · Rivacor · S · SEEQ · SELECTSITE · SYNERGY · Sotalol Hydrochloride · THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · TRAPLINER · TRUEVIEW · ULTRASCORE · UPTRAVI · VERQUVO · VYNDAQEL · Vascepa · WATCHMAN · WATCHMAN Access System · WATCHMAN FLX · WOLVERINE · WatchPAT · WatchPATONE · XARELTO · XIENCE V · ZILVER PTX · ZIO XT Patch · Zio monitor
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 (88%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in interventional cardiology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 2% for interventional cardiology in TX.
Equivalent to $6,806 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Interventional cardiologists within 10 mi
65
Per 100K population
1.4
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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. Kunapuli is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% in TX), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 2% 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. Kunapuli experienced with ekg interpretation and report?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kunapuli performed 621 ekg interpretation and report 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. Kunapuli receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kunapuli received a total of $309,823 from 59 companies across 835 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. Kunapuli's costs compare to other interventional cardiologists in Houston?
Dr. Kunapuli's average Medicare payment per service is $93. 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. Kunapuli) 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 →
Explore related providers
Same specialty & city
Interventional Cardiologists in Houston
Browse interventional cardiologists in Houston ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Interventional Cardiologists in TX
Interventional cardiologists ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Interventional Cardiologists in TX
Which TX interventional cardiologists receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
By company
Inari Medical, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Inari Medical, Inc.
By company
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
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