About me
Ajay Kadakkal, MD, is a board-certified advanced heart failure specialist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Heart and Vascular Institute. He treats patients with advanced diastolic heart failure and congestive heart failure. He also treats patients who are in need of a heart transplant and require mechanical service support from devices like the left ventricular assist device (LVAD). In addition, Dr. Kadakkal takes a special interest in infiltrative and inflammatory heart conditions like cardiac amyloidosis and sarcoidosis, which are often underdiagnosed. He is dedicated to building MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute as a referral base and top local center for referrals for patients with these conditions.
Dr. Kadakkal is part of a strong clinical practice at MedStar Health that provides a variety of diagnostic tests, ranging from imaging to cardiac stress testing. As part of this practice, he contributes to a team that is at the forefront of LVAD device placement and management at one of the top LVAD implant centers in the country. Dr. Kadakkal is passionate about continuing to develop and improve the durability and size of LVADs. His goal is to contribute to clinical trials that will improve the design of LVADs to be fully implantable, smaller, and less intrusive to the patient’s quality of life.
He is part of a group research effort at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute that involves a variety of clinical trials currently researching and providing new technology to patients who require mechanical circulatory support. His team is also currently building a database that observes patients with sarcoidosis and amyloidosis, looking at the difference in hemodynamic parameters among specific treatments for these conditions.
Dr. Kadakkal received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He then joined University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for residency and fellowship training before completing a specialty fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center.
Philosophy of Care
“Today, cardiovascular care is heavily influenced by technology. For this reason, it’s important that I am able to offer my patients the most advanced technology available while adhering to evidence-based practices.
“I take the time to help each patient understand the process of his/her disease and clearly understand what treatment options are available to either improve his/her health or stay within the lines of what his/her goals of care are. I believe that a holistic approach to patient care provides the best results. The ability to provide compassionate care lies in the time I take to listen to my patients in order to provide them with the best quality of life and survival available to them by implementing what I feel is the newest and most advanced technology.
“I am available to share information with providers and coordinate care with them for any referral patients.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Cardiomyopathy
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Ventricular Dysfunction
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure
- Advanced Heart Failure (ADHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure Care
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Failure
- Heart Transplant Rejection
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Valve Disease With Congestive Heart Failure
- Ventricular Assist Device Infection
- Ventricular Dysfunction
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- First Health PPO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- POS OA
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- TRICARE for Life East
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- CIGNA PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- OA Plus
- UHC Passport
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- IH-EPO Plus
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Medicare Direct
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- CIGNA EPO
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- TRICARE East Select
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Choice POS
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Beech Street PPO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- IH-POS Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst NASCO
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- TRICARE East Prime
- Employee Health Plan
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Police and Fire Clinic
- IH-PPO
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Aetna Basic
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- IH-HMO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- HighMark
- IH-Open POS II
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Navigate
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- MultiPlan, Inc
- First Health PPO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Choice POS II
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Sentara Health
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Classic 3500
- United Healthcare Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- IH-Indemnity
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- United Student Resources
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Optimum Choice
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Network OA
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Tricare Reserve Select
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-POS
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst EPO
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- IH-Open HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Choice Fund PPO
- Medicare FFS
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease
Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine (2017)
Fellowship: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2016)
Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2012)
Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine (2009)