Frank Cuoco, MD
Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology · Charleston, SCNPI 1497704423
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
The money is spread across several categories — speaking fees (41.0%), consulting fees and food and beverage — rather than concentrated in one kind of arrangement. 33 manufacturers reported payments, led by Boston Scientific at 52.1% of the total. 2025 is the largest year on record at $100,578, 5.6 times the $17,947 reported in 2019. Among clinical cardiac electrophysiology clinicians in SC with any reported payments, this total sits in the top 5% — high for the specialty, which is a reason to read the composition above rather than the number alone.
Across 1,710 payments — averaging $178.75 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Boston Scientific$159K
- Abbott$112K
- Biotronik Inc.$9K
- Biosense Webster, Inc.$9K
- Medtronic$4K
- Altathera Pharmaceuticals LLC$2K
- plus $10K from 27 others
Across 386 payments — averaging $6526.26 each. Payments tied to a research study. These frequently flow through the physician to a hospital or research institution rather than to the physician personally.
- Abbott$1.2M
- Boston Scientific$1.1M
- Recor Medical Inc$115K
- Biosense Webster, Inc.$56K
- Atricure, Inc.$33K
- Medical Device Business Services, Inc.$10K
- plus $2K from 2 others
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$99,86833%
- Speaking & faculty fees$125,17541%
- Travel & lodging$30,19110%
- Food & beverage$50,42816%
- Education$80%
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Scientific | 335 | $159,391 |
| Abbott | 500 | $112,342 |
| Biotronik Inc. | 103 | $9,045 |
| Biosense Webster, Inc. | 368 | $8,960 |
| Medtronic(2 entities) | 111 | $3,870 |
| Altathera Pharmaceuticals LLC | 4 | $2,060 |
| Avertix Medical, Inc | 1 | $2,000 |
| Cardiva Medical, Inc. | 64 | $1,685 |
| Cvrx, Inc. | 28 | $1,045 |
| E.r. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C. | 55 | $913 |
| Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc. | 8 | $629 |
| Atricure, Inc. | 13 | $562 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 32 | $543 |
| ZOLL Services LLC (a/k/a ZOLL Lifecor Corp) | 32 | $513 |
| Acutus Medical, Inc. | 3 | $419 |
| Volta Medical Inc | 3 | $377 |
| Pfizer | 13 | $269 |
| Philips North America LLC | 8 | $212 |
| Endologix LLC | 2 | $192 |
| Sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC | 8 | $169 |
| Preventice Services, LLC | 3 | $143 |
| Heartflow, Inc. | 1 | $48 |
| Baxter Healthcare | 3 | $44 |
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 2 | $43 |
| Cardiofocus, Inc. | 2 | $41 |
| Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, PLC | 1 | $28 |
| Amgen | 1 | $22 |
| Baylis Medical Company Inc | 1 | $21 |
| Angiodynamics, Inc. | 1 | $20 |
| Merck | 1 | $18 |
| Lundbeck LLC | 1 | $15 |
| Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. | 1 | $15 |
| Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. | 1 | $15 |
What the payments were tied to
Products named in the reported payments. Only payments of $100 or more are attributed here — the typical reported payment nationally is a meal worth about $16, and listing those product-by-product would be noise.
- AMPLATZER AMULET$66,140
- GENERAL EP$50,589
- Farapulse$25,638
- JETi All In One Non-Sterile Kit$19,250
- Watchman$12,650
- GENERAL - THERAPIES$10,485
- ENSITE PRECISION$5,051
- Rhythmia Mapping System$3,763
- AMPLATZER TALISMAN$3,000
- AVEIR$2,758
- Sotalol Hydrochloride$2,000
- MitraClip$1,750
- Quadra Assura CRT Defibrillator$1,682
- Carto 3$1,376
- ABSOLUTE PRO$1,297
- COBALT DR MRI SURESCAN$886
- Thermocool SF$766
- Cardiovascular- Research only$712
- OPTIMIZER$658
- Quadra Allure MP RF CRT Pacemkr$599
How this compares
$305,669 in reported general payments places this provider in the 95th percentile of 58 clinical cardiac electrophysiology providers in South Carolina.
See all clinical cardiac electrophysiology providers in South Carolina →
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| EliquisApixaban | 545 | $442,568 |
| XareltoRivaroxaban | 122 | $111,746 |
| MultaqDronedarone Hcl | 46 | $51,316 |
| Dofetilide | 225 | $28,999 |
| Flecainide Acetate | 171 | $6,620 |
| Amiodarone Hcl | 242 | $3,943 |
| Metoprolol Succinate | 150 | $1,885 |
| SotalolSotalol Hcl | 35 | $1,442 |
| Diltiazem 24hr Er (Cd)Diltiazem Hcl | 12 | $462 |
| Atenolol | 25 | $247 |
| ClopidogrelClopidogrel Bisulfate | 29 | $231 |
| Metoprolol Tartrate | 44 | $146 |
| Carvedilol | 23 | $109 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Companies that both paid and supply prescribed drugs
These companies both reported payments to this provider and make drugs the provider prescribed under Medicare Part D in 2024. For most specialties this overlap is expected — a cardiologist who is paid by a cardiology drugmaker also treats heart disease. It is shown so the reader can see it, not because it implies anything on its own.
| Company | Paid to this provider | Part D cost of their drugs |
|---|---|---|
| PfizerEliquis | $269 | $442,568545 claims |
| Johnson & JohnsonXarelto | $543 | $111,746122 claims |
| Sanofi-aventis U.S. LLCMultaq | $169 | $51,31646 claims |
Reading this fairly. The Part D column is what drug plans and patients paid pharmacies — this provider received none of it, and it reflects how many patients they treat and what those drugs cost. Against peers, this provider's reported payments sit in the 95th percentile of 58 clinical cardiac electrophysiology providers in South Carolina.
Other clinical cardiac electrophysiology in Charleston
- Jeffrey WinterfieldCharleston$498K
- Anne KromanCharleston$279K
- Michael GoldCharleston$204K
- Rachel KaplanCharleston$93K
- Joshua PayneCharleston$81K
- Swati RaoCharleston$61K
- John WhartonCharleston$44K
- Nicole CainCharleston$6K
- Lanier JacksonCharleston$4K
- Rory DowdCharleston$98
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.