Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Sung Choi, M.D.
Cardiovascular Disease · San Francisco, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Choi
Dr. Sung Choi is a cardiovascular disease specialist in San Francisco, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Choi performed 1,294 Medicare services across 1,006 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Choi received a total of $4,418 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 135 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cardiovascular disease. 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
▲ 1,294 Medicare services
$4,418 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,294
Medicare services
Bottom 40% in CA for cardiovascular disease
1,006
Unique beneficiaries
$68
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~65 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| EKG interpretation and report A standard electrocardiogram test that records the heart's electrical activity using at least 12 leads. The service includes a professional interpretation of the results and a written report. |
326 | $6 | $47 |
| 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. |
293 | $75 | $577 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
133 | $107 | $551 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
111 | $71 | $383 |
| 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. |
50 | $114 | $773 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
40 | $53 | $402 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
40 | $153 | $1,067 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
37 | $115 | $723 |
| Hospital discharge day management, 30 minutes or less This service covers the final day of hospital care when the patient is being discharged. It includes coordination of care and instructions for the patient within a time frame of 30 minutes or less. |
32 | $74 | $391 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
27 | $3 | $20 |
| Cardiac catheterization | 24 | $191 | $1,600 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create images of the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. |
19 | $16 | $105 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
19 | $107 | $867 |
| External shock to heart to regulate heart beat A procedure that delivers an electric shock to the heart from outside the body to restore a normal heart rhythm. |
18 | $98 | $1,353 |
| Stress echocardiogram with ECG monitoring An ultrasound of the heart performed while monitoring heart rhythm during rest, exercise, or medication-induced stress, followed by a review and report of the findings. |
18 | $69 | $519 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 17 | $139 | $1,085 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
15 | $22 | $147 |
| Ultrasound of heart blood vessel or graft An ultrasound exam to evaluate blood flow in a heart blood vessel or graft, including a radiologist's review of the initial vessel. |
14 | $80 | $504 |
| 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. |
13 | $13 | $82 |
| Transesophageal echocardiogram An ultrasound of the heart performed using a probe inserted into the esophagus to obtain detailed images of heart structures and function. |
13 | $96 | $589 |
| Coronary stent placement A procedure to insert a stent into a coronary artery or its branch to keep it open, using balloon dilation during the process. |
12 | $436 | $3,599 |
| External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm. |
12 | $23 | $135 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while an electrocardiogram is monitored under physician supervision. |
11 | $19 | $125 |
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.
7.3% high complexity
8.6% medium
84.1% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$4,418
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $736/year across 6 years
Top 44% in CA for cardiovascular disease
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
23
Companies
135
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
$4,237 (95.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$180 (4.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$201
2022
$147
2021
$64
2020
$503
2019
$1,671
2018
$1,832
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$102
Terumo Medical Corporation
$99
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$971
Amgen Inc.
$539
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$440
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$412
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$240
ABIOMED
$223
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$197
Masimo Corporation
$160
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$127
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$122
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$108
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$102
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$102
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$99
Terumo Medical Corporation
$99
CathWorks, Inc.
$95
Boston Scientific Corporation
$95
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$85
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$78
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$52
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$31
HeartFlow, Inc.
$24
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 44.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BOSENTAN TABLETS · BRILINTA · CoreValve Evolut · Corlanor · Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · FFRangio System · GLIDESHEATH SLENDER · Impella · JARDIANCE · KENGREAL · LEXISCAN · LifeVest · OPSUMIT · OPSUMIT MACITENTAN · PRADAXA · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · Repatha · Resolute · WATCHMAN · XARELTO · ZIO Patch
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 (96%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Cardiologists within 10 mi
211
Per 100K population
25.2
County median income
$141,446
Nearest hospital
CALIFORNIA PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTER- VAN NESS CAMPUS
0.0 mi
0.0 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 clinical cardiology 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 ekg interpretation and report?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Choi performed 326 ekg interpretation and report 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 $4,418 from 23 companies across 135 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 cardiologists in San Francisco?
Dr. Choi's average Medicare payment per service is $68. 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.
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