2026 NPPES data Nephrology Physician NPI 1326095548 M.D.
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Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.

Nephrology Physician in Brighton, Massachusetts.

This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 10,569 in Nephrology Physician, and covers specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare Part D prescribing data when reported. According to CMS, every field reflects the provider's official federal registration, see our methodology.

Federal data, no proprietary rating. We show these CMS records as-is - no composite score, no star rating, no editorial opinion layered on top.
Prescribing volume
728
Medicare Part D claims · 110 beneficiaries · Nephrology Physician avg: 1K
Generic prescribing
88%
generic claims · 12% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Industry payments
$84.85
9 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.

What the federal data shows

Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. filed 728 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Nephrology Physician in Brighton, Massachusetts, prescribing 88% generic.

728
Part D claims, 2023
88%
generic prescribing
Likely
board-certified (heuristic)

Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records (NPPES, Medicare Part D, MIPS, Open Payments) - no proprietary rating or editorial opinion is applied.

Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.'s Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber

Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023, across all CMS prescribers nationally

728 Top 29% higher than 71% of 1,370,886 prescribers

0–200: 670,926 prescribers (49%). Below this entry. 200–400: 182,923 prescribers (13%). Below this entry. 400–600: 90,619 prescribers (7%). Below this entry. 600–800: 56,224 prescribers (4%). This entry sits in this band. 800–1,000: 40,919 prescribers (3%). Above this entry. 1,000–1,200: 31,827 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,400: 26,224 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,400–1,600: 21,710 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,600–1,800: 19,072 prescribers (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–2,000: 16,451 prescribers (1%). Above this entry. 2K+: 213,991 prescribers (16%). Above this entry. This provider 0 2K+ every Part D prescriber (claims/yr), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more prescribers. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File · 2023

Board certification likely (heuristic, not verified)

Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + 2 hospital affiliations - signals consistent with board-certified status. For verified board certification, see CertificationMatters.org (the official ABMS public lookup).

What does the federal data show about Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.?

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 05/31/2006

NPI 1326095548

Primary specialty

Nephrology Physician

Mid-sized

10,569 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

728 50% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 1,454

Specialty distribution in Massachusetts

How Nephrology Physician compares to other specialties among Massachusetts providers

Massachusetts providers
Mental Health Counselor - 8.3%Mental Health Counselor8.3%Clinical Social Worker - 7.8%Clinical Social Worker7.8%Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program - 6.2%Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program6.2%Behavior Technician - 4.9%Behavior Technician4.9%Counselor - 4.3%Counselor4.3%Internal Medicine Physician - 3.7%Internal Medicine Physician3.7%Nephrology Physician - 0.1%Nephrology Physician0.1%
Largest specialties in Massachusetts (% of in-state providers)

Board certification

Not published by CMS

CMS does not publish a per-provider board-certification field in NPPES. PlainDoctor does not have a reliable per-specialty certification rate to show for Nephrology Physician. Verify directly:

How MIPS and board certification work

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores providers 0–100 across four performance categories: Quality, Cost, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities, weighted under 42 CFR §414.1380. Reporting is voluntary for many small practices, so absence of a MIPS score is not a quality signal.

Board certification through an ABMS or AOA member board signals voluntary post-licensure examination plus continuous Maintenance of Certification cycles. Verify any individual provider's status through certificationmatters.org (ABMS) or osteopathic.org (AOA).

Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Nephrology Physician provider holding M.D. credentials at 11 NEVINS ST., Brighton, MA, 02135, with a listed phone of (617) 779-6700. NPI 1326095548 was issued on 05/31/2006.

Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 728 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 110 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $103K in drug spend, split 12% brand-name and 88% generic by claim count.

Nephrology Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 10,569 enrolled providers across 55 states and an average of 1,454 Part D claims per prescriber, so the context for interpreting these metrics differs meaningfully from a primary-care baseline.

Important: PlainDoctor is a directory of publicly available government data, not medical advice, a malpractice database, or a quality rating. Inclusion here does not imply a recommendation, and absence of complaints or sanctions on this page does not mean none exist, always verify credentials through the NPPES NPI Registry, your state medical board, and the ABMS or AOA before making healthcare decisions.

Practice Address

11 NEVINS ST.
Brighton, MA 02135

Provider Details

NPI 1326095548
Specialty Nephrology Physician
Credentials M.D.
Gender Male
NPI Issued 05/31/2006

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. bills Medicare from. Star ratings (1-5) are CMS Hospital Compare's "Hospital overall rating" - a composite of mortality, readmission, patient experience, safety, timely care, and efficient use of medical imaging measures. Source: CMS Care Compare.

Bmc Affiliated Physicians, Inc.
Brighton, MA
Steward St Elizabeths Medical Center OF Boston Inc
Brighton, MA

Affiliations sourced from CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File; hospital ratings from CMS Hospital General Information dataset (cross-referenced by facility name + state).

Industry payments received (2024) - CMS Open Payments transparency data

The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act (part of the Affordable Care Act) requires drug and medical-device manufacturers + group purchasing organizations to publicly report payments and other transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals. The data below covers 2024 for Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$85

Largest payer

Travere Therapeutics, Inc.

Most common payment type

Education

Industry payments are not necessarily indicators of bias, they include research funding, consulting fees for evidence-based work, royalties for inventions, food at conferences, and similar items. The disclosure exists for transparency. Read our methodology for how we interpret this data.

License & disciplinary context - Massachusetts BORIM 2023 annual report

Aggregate state board data only, NOT a determination of any individual provider's status. The figures below describe statewide disciplinary activity across all ~38K Massachusetts medical licensees in 2023 - they are NOT specific to Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.. To verify Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.'s current license status, search the BORIM public license lookup directly, or check the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) verification service.

80
Total board actions, Massachusetts 2023
Across 78 cases
2.11
Actions per 1,000 licensees
Massachusetts statewide rate
probation
Most common action type
29 cases

BORIM publishes annual disciplinary statistics as part of public-record reporting under each state's Administrative Procedure Act. See the full breakdown by action type and year on the Massachusetts disciplinary trends page. Cross-checked against FSMB U.S. Medical Regulatory Trends.

Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Typical

Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. - brand share 12.0%
Nephrology Physician average

12% brand-name claims vs 88% generic, on 728 2023 Medicare Part D claims.

The federal Medicare Part D Generic Dispensing Rate national benchmark sits near 90% generic / 10% brand for primary-care prescribers, per CMS Office of the Actuary 2024 estimates. Higher brand share is common in specialty prescribing where generic equivalents are not available.

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.

728
Total Claims
$103K
Total Drug Cost
110
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
1,628
Total Day Supply
48,596
Brand vs Generic
12% brand / 88% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$81K
Generic Drug Cost
$23K

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
75.0 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
3.23
Gender Split
45% female / 55% male
Age Distribution
<65: 15, 65-74: 35, 75-84: 38, 85+: 22

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.

What Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. prescribes most

Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023

claims
Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File As of 2023
Drug Claims
Amlodipine Besylate
68
Chlorthalidone
61
Torsemide
54
Nifedipine Er
Nifedipine
46
Losartan Potassium
42
Carvedilol
39
Metoprolol Succinate
35
Hydrochlorothiazide
22
Doxazosin Mesylate
21
Jardiance
Empagliflozin
21

* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.

Nephrology Physician Overview

How Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. fits within the Nephrology Physician landscape nationally.

10,569
Nephrology Physician Providers in US
55
States with Nephrology Physician
1,454
Avg Claims per Provider

Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.'s 728 claims are below the specialty average of 1,454.

Nearby Nephrology Physician Providers in Massachusetts

Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Massachusetts, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Balakrishnan.

Compare Nephrology Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Before you book an appointment

Use this federal record as your verification checklist, not as a recommendation.

  • Confirm the NPI record is current in the official CMS registry, providers update their own NPPES details, and moves can lag. Verify this NPI
  • Check the active license and any disciplinary history with the Massachusetts medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
  • Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Nephrology Physician peer on Medicare volume and prescribing patterns. Compare providers

Medicare Part D and MIPS figures describe practice patterns in federal programs only, they are not quality ratings, and PlainDoctor does not rate, rank, or recommend providers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.'s specialty?
Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. specializes in Nephrology Physician and practices in Brighton, Massachusetts. Credentials: M.D..
How much does Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. wrote 728 Medicare Part D claims totaling $103K in drug costs for 110 beneficiaries.
Where is Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. located?
Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. is located at 11 NEVINS ST., Brighton, MA, 02135. Phone: (617) 779-6700.
What is Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.'s NPI number?
Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1326095548, issued on 05/31/2006.
Does Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.'s prescribing is 12% brand-name and 88% generic drugs by claim count, with $81K in brand drug costs.
How many Nephrology Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 10,569 Nephrology Physician providers across 55 states in the US. The average Nephrology Physician provider writes 1,454 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Amlodipine Besylate, Chlorthalidone, Torsemide. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. accept Medicare?
Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 728 Part D claims and 110 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.'s credentials?
Vaidyanathapuram Balakrishnan, M.D.'s NPI is 1326095548 with credentials M.D.. You can verify this through the NPPES NPI Registry, check state medical board records, and confirm board certification through the ABMS or AOA.

Data Sources

View source datasets and methodology notes
Provider Directory
CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), download.cms.gov/nppes, updated monthly. Contains NPI, specialty, credentials, and practice location.
Specialty Classification
NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy (nucc.org), the industry standard for classifying provider specialties in Medicare and Medicaid billing.
Prescribing Data
CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File (2023). Includes claims, drug costs, beneficiaries, and opioid prescribing rates.
Limitations
Provider data is self-reported to CMS. Prescribing data reflects Medicare Part D only and does not include commercial insurance, Medicaid, or cash prescriptions. Claims below 11 beneficiaries are suppressed by CMS for privacy.

See our complete data methodology for details on how we collect and process government data.

Data as of April 2026 (NPPES) / 2023 (Medicare Part D). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Disclaimer: Data from CMS NPPES and Medicare Part D. PlainDoctor does not rate or rank providers. Provider information is self-reported and may not be current. Always verify information directly with the provider. About · Methodology

Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.

Every figure on PlainDoctor is rendered directly from the federal CMS NPPES registry, Medicare Part D, MIPS, and Open Payments records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.