Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Guita Balakhane, M.D.,
Nephrology · Los Angeles, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Balakhane 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. Balakhane
Dr. Guita Balakhane is a nephrology specialist in Los Angeles, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Balakhane performed 1,686 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Balakhane received a total of $2,402 from 26 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 76 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Balakhane 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 of NPI registration
▲ Top 37% volume in CA
$2,402 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗1,686
Medicare services
Top 37% in CA for nephrology
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$56
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
429 | $149 | $480 |
| Functional activity therapy A therapy procedure that utilizes functional activities as part of the treatment process. |
316 | $34 | $115 |
| Neuromuscular re-education therapy, per 15 min A therapy procedure designed to re-educate the functional connection between the brain, nerves, and muscles. It is billed in 15-minute increments. |
315 | $22 | $110 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
61 | $8 | $25 |
| 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. |
56 | $11 | $125 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
43 | $12 | $84 |
| Vitamin B-12 injection An injection of vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin) with a dose of up to 1000 mcg. |
38 | $1 | $50 |
| Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min | 36 | $18 | $100 |
| Home health plan of care re-certification A physician reviews the patient's status and contacts the home health agency to re-certify the plan of care without the patient being present. |
24 | $37 | $150 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
20 | $16 | $70 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
19 | $13 | $75 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
19 | $10 | $40 |
| Magnesium level test A blood test to measure the amount of magnesium in your body. This helps check for magnesium deficiency or excess. |
19 | $7 | $30 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
19 | $8 | $30 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
18 | $15 | $65 |
| Iron level test | 18 | $6 | $25 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
17 | $3 | $15 |
| Ferritin level test (iron stores) A blood test that measures the level of ferritin, a protein that stores iron in the body. |
17 | $13 | $55 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
16 | $29 | $90 |
| Liver function blood test panel | 15 | $8 | $60 |
| Uric acid level test A blood test that measures the level of uric acid in your body. Uric acid is a waste product formed when the body breaks down purines. |
15 | $4 | $20 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 15 | $181 | $680 |
| 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. |
15 | $113 | $368 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
14 | $8 | $35 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
14 | $9 | $40 |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test A blood test that measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a test tube to detect inflammation in the body. This specific method is performed manually rather than using an automated machine. |
14 | $4 | $20 |
| Complete ultrasound of abdomen A diagnostic imaging test that uses sound waves to create detailed pictures of the organs and structures within the abdomen. |
13 | $109 | $750 |
| Folic acid level test A blood test that measures the amount of folic acid in the serum. |
13 | $14 | $60 |
| Iron binding capacity test A blood test that measures the amount of iron in the blood and the blood's ability to bind and transport iron. |
13 | $9 | $35 |
| Free T3 thyroid hormone test A blood test that measures the level of free triiodothyronine (T3) hormone in your body. This helps assess how well your thyroid gland is functioning. |
12 | $17 | $50 |
| Complete pelvic ultrasound An imaging test using sound waves to create pictures of the organs and structures within the pelvis. |
11 | $86 | $380 |
| High-sensitivity C-reactive protein test A blood test that measures high-sensitivity C-reactive protein to detect infection or inflammation. |
11 | $13 | $70 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
11 | $43 | $180 |
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$2,402
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $343/year across 7 years
Top 34% in CA for nephrology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
26
Companies
76
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$123
2023
$183
2022
$271
2021
$274
2020
$181
2019
$665
2018
$705
Payments by company (2024)
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$31
ABBVIE INC.
$27
Nevro Corp.
$26
Boston Scientific Corporation
$20
Amgen Inc.
$20
Top 3 companies account for 67.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$578
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$265
Amgen Inc.
$234
Novo Nordisk Inc
$151
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$132
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$130
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$124
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$122
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$107
Abbott Laboratories
$95
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$72
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$63
Radius Health, Inc.
$40
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$34
ABBVIE INC.
$27
Nevro Corp.
$26
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$25
GENZYME CORPORATION
$24
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$24
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$24
Boston Scientific Corporation
$20
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$20
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$19
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$19
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company
$15
Lilly USA, LLC
$12
Top 3 companies account for 44.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(4067) Tack Endo Sys BTK · ACTHAR · Aimovig · BOTOX · Confirm Rx · DUPIXENT · Diamondback Peripheral · FARXIGA · GATTEX · GIAPREZA · INJECTAFER · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JYNARQUE · KRYSTEXXA · LOKELMA · Otezla · Ozempic · Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy System · Repatha · Rybelsus · SPRINT PNS System · STELARA · Senza · TERLIVAZ · TRULICITY · Tymlos · Victoza · XARELTO
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Geographic Context
Nephrologists in nearby ZIP areas
346
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | NPPES snapshot; verify current record |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | PECOS snapshot |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not included | 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. Balakhane is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, 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. Balakhane experienced with office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Balakhane performed 429 office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Balakhane receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Balakhane received a total of $2,402 from 26 companies across 76 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. Balakhane's costs compare to other nephrologists in Los Angeles?
Dr. Balakhane's average Medicare payment per service is $56. 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. Balakhane) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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.
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