Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Chandrasekhar Kunavarapu, M.D.

Cardiovascular Disease · San Antonio, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
4499 MEDICAL DRIVE, San Antonio, TX 78229
2105758485
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1447288022 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. Kunavarapu 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. Kunavarapu

Dr. Chandrasekhar Kunavarapu is a cardiovascular disease in San Antonio, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kunavarapu performed 885 Medicare services across 479 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kunavarapu received a total of $391,326 from 37 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 780 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cardiovascular disease. 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. Kunavarapu 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.

✓ 19 years in practice▲ 885 Medicare services$ $391,326 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
885
Medicare services
Bottom 26% in TX for cardiovascular disease
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
479
Unique beneficiaries
$89
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~47 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity333$88$252
Critical care, first 30-74 min144$165$551
Echocardiogram, transthoracic119$52$174
Use of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by physician performing a procedure (5 years or older), initial 15 minutes48$9$32
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)44$71$192
Initial hospital admission, high complexity42$131$492
Heart muscle strain imaging39$9$32
Biopsy of heart muscle34$131$638
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity25$61$176
Insertion of tube in right heart chambers for measurement19$88$380
Review by radiologist of arteries of both lungs image13$60$212
Evaluation of single, dual, or multiple lead implantable defibrillator system, remote up to 90 days13$26$173
Insertion of tube into artery of lobe of lung12$111$461
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
8.2% medium
76.8% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$391,326
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $55,904/year across 7 years
Top 1% in TX for cardiovascular disease
37
Companies
780
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
$341,372 (87.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$36,327 (9.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$13,627 (3.5%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$52,461
2023
$76,282
2022
$96,144
2021
$43,589
2020
$15,290
2019
$42,943
2018
$64,616

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$160,970
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$61,306
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$57,030
United Therapeutics Corporation
$46,292
Inari Medical, Inc.
$28,508
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$13,154
Abbott Laboratories
$9,244
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$4,695
ABIOMED
$2,077
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,684
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$1,298
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$845
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$638
Ancora Heart, Inc.
$625
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$613
Maquet Cardiovascular U.S. Sales, L.L.C.
$243
Medtronic, Inc.
$225
Fresenius USA Marketing, Inc.
$220
Michigan Critical Care Consultants, Inc.
$211
CVRx, Inc.
$164
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$163
Respicardia, Inc.
$133
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$127
PFIZER INC.
$122
Boston Scientific Corporation
$107
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$99
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$90
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$86
Sandoz Inc.
$80
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$70
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$46
BIOTRONIK INC.
$32
Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.
$28
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$28
CARDIVA MEDICAL, INC.
$27
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$25
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$23
Top 3 companies account for 71.4% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ALPHAVAC · AMVUTTRA · AccuCinch · Adempas · BOSENTAN · Barostim Neo System · CAMZYOS · CARDIOHELP · CARDIOMEMS · CARDIVA VASCADE MVP VVCS 6-12F · COREVALVE EVOLUT R · CRM-Research only · CT THROMBECTOMY SYSTEM KIT · CardioMEMS HF System · Circulatory Support · CoreValve Evolut · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · GENERAL - THERAPIES · HeartMate · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Dev · HeartWare HVAD · INJECTAFER · Impella · JARDIANCE · Kerendia · LIVTENCITY · LifeVest · Merlin Connectivity and Remote · NONE · NOVALUNG SYSTEM · Nautilus · ONPATTRO · OPSUMIT · OPSUMIT MACITENTAN · OPTIMIZER · ORENITRAM · Optimizer · Optimizer Smart System · Perclose ProGlide suture mediated closure system · REMODULIN · S · TEGSEDI · THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · TREPROSTINIL · TYVASO · TandemLife · UPTRAVI · VERQUVO · VYNDAQEL · WINREVAIR · XARELTO · ZIO Patch · remede System
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 (87%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in cardiovascular disease and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for cardiovascular disease in TX.

Equivalent to $44,218 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a cardiovascular disease in San Antonio?
Compare cardiovascular diseases in the San Antonio area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Cardiovascular Diseases within 10 mi
150
Per 100K population
7.4
County median income
$70,571
Nearest hospital
UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/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. Kunavarapu is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 1%), 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. Kunavarapu experienced with hospital follow-up visit, high complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kunavarapu performed 333 hospital follow-up visit, high 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. Kunavarapu receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kunavarapu received a total of $391,326 from 37 companies across 780 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. Kunavarapu's costs compare to other cardiovascular diseases in San Antonio?
Dr. Kunavarapu's average Medicare payment per service is $89. 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. Kunavarapu) 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 →