Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Desh Sharma, M.D.

Gastroenterology · San Antonio, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
3208 NAPIER PARK STE 1, San Antonio, TX 78231
2104053410
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1457549032 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. Sharma 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. Sharma? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Sharma

Dr. Desh Sharma is a gastroenterology in San Antonio, TX, with 18 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sharma performed 1,390 Medicare services across 1,061 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sharma received a total of $4,794 from 34 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 214 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in gastroenterology. 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.

✓ 18 years in practice▲ Top 14% volume in TX$ $4,794 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,390
Medicare services
Top 14% in TX for gastroenterology
1,061
Unique beneficiaries
$94
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~77 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, moderate complexity499$60$220
Initial hospital admission, high complexity270$132$550
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)175$94$300
Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy108$82$600
Removal of polyps or growths of large bowel using an endoscope with mechanical snare89$169$800
New patient office visit (30-44 min)61$81$300
Colonoscopy with biopsy60$73$800
Insertion of stomach tube using a flexible endoscope29$151$500
Diagnostic exam of esophagus, stomach, and/or upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope27$84$500
Control of bleeding of upper large bowel using a flexible endoscope21$202$800
Diagnostic exam of large bowel using a flexible endoscope19$134$650
Injection beneath lining of large bowel using a flexible endoscope18$12$800
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity14$100$350
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 ↗
$4,794
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $685/year across 7 years
Top 40% in TX for gastroenterology
34
Companies
214
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.

Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$4,794 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$465
2023
$604
2022
$1,053
2021
$769
2020
$278
2019
$633
2018
$992

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$738
AbbVie Inc.
$545
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$488
Celgene Corporation
$392
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$234
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$196
PFIZER INC.
$165
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$155
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$140
AbbVie, Inc.
$128
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$125
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$124
Prometheus Laboratories Inc.
$124
Braintree Laboratories, Inc.
$123
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$122
Novo Nordisk Inc
$115
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$114
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$110
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$97
Covidien LP
$89
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$67
QOL Medical, LLC
$65
Boston Scientific Corporation
$54
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$45
Napo Pharmaceuticals Inc
$41
Concordia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$41
Shire North American Group Inc
$33
UCB, Inc.
$25
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$23
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$15
Exact Sciences Corporation
$15
Shionogi Inc
$13
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$12
Top 3 companies account for 36.9% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
APRISO · Amitiza · BEVYXXA · CIMZIA · CLENPIQ · Cimzia · Creon · DIFICID · Donnatal · ENTYVIO · Entyvio · FARXIGA · GATTEX · GIVLAARI · HUMIRA · IMFINZI · INTERSTIM ICON · MAVYRET · MOTEGRITY · Mavyret · Motegrity · Movantik · Mytesi · Omeclamox · Omeclamox-Pak · Ozempic · REBYOTA · REMICADE · RESOLUTION CLIP · RINVOQ · SKYRIZI · STELARA · SUCRAID · SUPREP · SUPREP BOWEL PREP · SUTAB · Smart Pill · Sucraid · Symproic · TREMFYA · TRULANCE · Talicia · Trulance · XELJANZ · ZEPOSIA
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 →

Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $345 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a gastroenterology in San Antonio?
Compare gastroenterologys in the San Antonio area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Gastroenterologys within 10 mi
104
Per 100K population
5.1
County median income
$70,571
Nearest hospital
BAPTIST NEIGHBORHOOD HOSPITAL THOUSAND OAKS
4.0 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. Sharma is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 14% in TX), and low-engagement industry engagement, with 18 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 hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Sharma performed 499 hospital follow-up visit, 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. Sharma receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Sharma received a total of $4,794 from 34 companies across 214 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. Sharma's costs compare to other gastroenterologys in San Antonio?
Dr. Sharma's average Medicare payment per service is $94. 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. Sharma) 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 →