Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Kodlipet Dharmashankar, MD
Internal Medicine · Texas City, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Dharmashankar 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. Dharmashankar
Dr. Kodlipet Dharmashankar is an internal medicine specialist in Texas City, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Dharmashankar performed 2,379 Medicare services across 1,415 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Dharmashankar received a total of $8,697 from 39 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 259 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in internal medicine. 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. Dharmashankar 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
▲ Top 15% volume in TX
$8,697 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,379
Medicare services
Top 15% in TX for internal medicine
1,415
Unique beneficiaries
$75
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~125 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
549 | $63 | $124 |
| 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. |
532 | $95 | $157 |
| 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. |
215 | $64 | $172 |
| 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. |
178 | $7 | $52 |
| 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. |
136 | $95 | $154 |
| 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. |
136 | $138 | $294 |
| 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. |
131 | $104 | $199 |
| Regadenoson injection (Lexiscan) for heart stress test An injection of regadenoson, a medication used to stress the heart during diagnostic testing. |
88 | $44 | $100 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
71 | $149 | $335 |
| 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. |
40 | $10 | $56 |
| 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. |
31 | $49 | $239 |
| Radiologist review of drainage imaging A radiologist reviews medical images to assess the drainage of fluid. |
30 | $44 | $500 |
| 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. |
29 | $10 | $45 |
| Cardiac catheterization | 28 | $188 | $1,000 |
| Technetium Tc-99m tetrofosmin diagnostic injection A diagnostic injection of Technetium Tc-99m tetrofosmin used for imaging studies. |
26 | $119 | $158 |
| Arterial puncture or catheterization, arm or leg Insertion of a needle or tube into an artery in the arm or leg. This procedure is used to access the arterial system for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. |
23 | $35 | $640 |
| 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. |
23 | $26 | $160 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in one arm or leg using compression and other maneuvers to assess blood flow and check for blockages. |
23 | $17 | $143 |
| 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. |
18 | $30 | $172 |
| Transesophageal echocardiogram An ultrasound of the heart performed using a probe inserted into the esophagus to obtain detailed images of heart structures and function. |
16 | $84 | $354 |
| 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. |
16 | $124 | $251 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
15 | $2 | $14 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create images of the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. |
13 | $14 | $42 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the blood vessels in the legs or any surgical grafts present. |
12 | $27 | $183 |
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.
5.7% high complexity
11.9% medium
82.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$8,697
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,242/year across 7 years
Top 10% in TX for internal medicine
39
Companies
259
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
$8,697 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,030
2023
$1,588
2022
$1,045
2021
$1,688
2020
$1,012
2019
$452
2018
$882
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Abbott Laboratories
$2,594
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,446
Boston Scientific Corporation
$926
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$558
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$392
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$293
ABIOMED
$272
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$267
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$261
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$191
Amgen Inc.
$187
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$179
PFIZER INC.
$137
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$127
Inari Medical, Inc.
$97
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$75
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$55
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$54
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$47
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$43
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$42
CORDIS US CORP.
$41
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$40
Avinger Inc.
$40
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$37
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$34
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$30
CVRx, Inc.
$26
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$25
Terumo Medical Corporation
$24
Aziyo Biologics, Inc.
$23
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$20
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$19
Cook Medical LLC
$14
CashFlow Solutions, LLC
$14
Vital Connect, Inc
$13
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$12
Top 3 companies account for 57.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACUITY Steerable · ADVISOR · AMPLATZER Occluders · AMPLATZER PICCOLO · ASSURITY · AVEIR · Advisor Catheter · Arcalyst · BELSOMRA · BRILINTA · Barostim Neo System · CAMZYOS · CARDIOMEMS · CHANTIX · COREVALVE EVOLUT R · Confirm Rx · CoreValve Evolut · Corlanor · Diamondback Peripheral · ECM Patch · ELIQUIS · EMBLEM MRI S-ICD · ENTRESTO · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Heart Valve · FARXIGA · FLEXITOUCH · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · GENERAL - TACHY · General - Therapies · HawkOne · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device · INGEVITY MRI · INVOKANA · Impella · Inpefa · JARDIANCE · KENGREAL · LATITUDE · LEQVIO · LUX DX · LUX-DX · LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor · LYMPHA PRESS OPTIMAL PLUS(US) BT · LifeVest · MICRA · MULTAQ · MYNXGRIP · Merlin Connectivity and Remote · MitraClip System · NEXLETOL · ONPATTRO · Optimizer · Optis Coronary Imaging System · PANTHERIS · PERCLOSE PROGLIDE · PRADAXA · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · Pouch · QUADRA ASSURA · RAIN SHEATH TRANSRADIAL · RESONATE · RESONATE EL ICD VR · REVEAL LINQ · ROTABLATOR · Repatha · Resolute · Reveal LINQ · S · SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA · THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · TR Band · VERQUVO · VITALPATCH RTM · Vascepa · WATCHMAN · WATCHMAN Access System · WOLVERINE CORONARY CUTTING BALLOON · XACT · XARELTO · Xience Sierra Coronary Stent · Zilver PTX · myLUX Patient Kit with mobile device
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. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for internal medicine in TX.
Equivalent to $366 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
570
Per 100K population
160.7
County median income
$85,348
Nearest hospital
HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE CLEAR LAKE
12.7 mi
12.7 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. Dharmashankar is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 15% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 10% of TX peers, with 19 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. Dharmashankar experienced with hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Dharmashankar performed 549 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. Dharmashankar receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Dharmashankar received a total of $8,697 from 39 companies across 259 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. Dharmashankar's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in Texas City?
Dr. Dharmashankar's average Medicare payment per service is $75. 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. Dharmashankar) 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 →
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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.
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