Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Esther Choi, M.D.

Nuclear Radiology Physician · Seattle, WA
Practice pattern: Cardiac Imaging — Practice with significant diagnostic imaging and stress testing
Low-engagement
825 EASTLAKE AVE E, Seattle, WA 98109
2065205000
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1134162803 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. Choi 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. Choi? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Choi

Dr. Esther Choi is a nuclear radiology physician in Seattle, WA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Choi performed 1,059 Medicare services across 1,017 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Choi received a total of $138 from 4 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 4 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in nuclear radiology physician. 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. Choi is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ Top 44% volume in WA $138 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,059
Medicare services
Top 44% in WA for nuclear radiology physician
1,017
Unique beneficiaries
$53
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~53 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
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.
 273 $63 $300
Nuclear medicine scan from skull base to mid-thigh with CT
A nuclear medicine imaging study covering the area from the base of the skull to the middle of the thighs, performed alongside a CT scan.
 227 $93 $1,799
Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG
A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram, with physician review of the results.
 224 $12 $56
Whole body bone and joint nuclear medicine scan
A nuclear medicine imaging test that uses a radioactive tracer to create pictures of the entire skeleton and joints. This scan helps evaluate bone health and detect abnormalities throughout the body.
 79 $32 $298
SPECT/CT scan, single area
A nuclear medicine imaging study that combines single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with a concurrent CT scan to create detailed images of a single body area.
 52 $56 $807
Radioactive drug therapy through a vein
Administration of a radioactive medication directly into the bloodstream via an intravenous line.
 46 $78 $359
Lymphatic system nuclear medicine study
A nuclear medicine imaging test used to evaluate the structure and function of the lymphatic system.
 37 $45 $415
Lung ventilation and perfusion scan
A nuclear medicine test that uses radioactive tracers to evaluate both air flow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion) in the lungs.
 33 $42 $311
Whole body nuclear medicine scan with CT
A combined imaging procedure using nuclear medicine and CT scans to visualize the entire body.
 27 $75 $1,513
Bone density scan (DEXA)
A test that uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone mineral density in the hip, pelvis, and spine. It helps assess bone strength and risk of fractures.
 22 $9 $35
Nuclear medicine lung circulation study
A nuclear medicine test that uses a small amount of radioactive material to create images of blood flow through the lungs.
 17 $29 $266
Nuclear medicine stomach emptying study
A nuclear medicine test used to assess how quickly the stomach empties its contents.
 11 $31 $357
Nuclear medicine kidney study with drug administration
A nuclear medicine test that evaluates kidney blood flow and function using a radioactive tracer and drug administration.
 11 $47 $224
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.
3.1% high complexity
90.5% medium
6.4% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$138
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $35/year across 4 years
Top 50% in WA for nuclear radiology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
4
Companies
4
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
$138 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$39
2022
$22
2020
$50
2019
$27

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$39
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2019-2024) ›
Eisai Inc.
$50
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$39
Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.
$27
GE HealthCare
$22
Top 3 companies account for 83.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA · TEGSEDI
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.

Looking for a nuclear radiology physician in Seattle?
Compare nuclear radiology physicians in the Seattle area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Nuclear radiology physicians within 10 mi
11
Per 100K population
0.5
County median income
$122,148
Nearest hospital
VIRGINIA MASON MEDICAL CENTER
1.4 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 reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Choi is a cardiac imaging specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 years of NPI registration.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Choi experienced with nuclear stress test of heart muscle?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Choi performed 273 nuclear stress test of heart muscle 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. Choi receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Choi received a total of $138 from 4 companies across 4 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. Choi's costs compare to other nuclear radiology physicians in Seattle?
Dr. Choi's average Medicare payment per service is $53. 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. Choi) 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. Data Coverage reflects 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 →