Medicare Enrolled
Dr. William Abernethy, M.D.
Cardiovascular Disease · Asheville, NC
Practice pattern: Interventional & Electrophysiology
— Practice combining interventional and electrophysiology services
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. Abernethy 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. Abernethy
Dr. William Abernethy is a cardiovascular disease specialist in Asheville, NC, with 21 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Abernethy performed 1,256 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Abernethy received a total of $8,821 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 141 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. Abernethy 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.
✓ 21 years of NPI registration
▲ 1,256 Medicare services
$8,821 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗1,256
Medicare services
Bottom 36% in NC for cardiovascular disease
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$103
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 (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. |
333 | $83 | $145 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
219 | $10 | $43 |
| Cardiac catheterization | 122 | $184 | $1,129 |
| 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. |
67 | $11 | $87 |
| Remote pacemaker monitoring, 90 days Remote assessment of a pacemaker system, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless devices, performed up to 90 days apart. |
55 | $20 | $124 |
| Remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days Remote evaluation of a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the last check. |
55 | $16 | $118 |
| 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. |
45 | $112 | $255 |
| 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. |
44 | $412 | $1,753 |
| 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. |
32 | $62 | $105 |
| 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. |
32 | $90 | $150 |
| 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. |
28 | $115 | $202 |
| Coronary angiography A procedure to insert a tube into a coronary artery to capture diagnostic images of the heart's blood vessels. |
27 | $160 | $936 |
| 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. |
27 | $135 | $297 |
| Insertion of tube in right and left heart chambers and coronary artery for diagnosis with review by radiologist | 24 | $262 | $1,334 |
| 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. |
21 | $71 | $291 |
| Transcatheter aortic valve replacement via femoral artery A minimally invasive procedure to replace a diseased aortic heart valve using a catheter inserted through the skin and femoral artery. |
19 | $565 | $4,451 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
19 | $62 | $98 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 17 | $132 | $269 |
| Insertion of tube in left lower heart chamber, coronary artery and bypass graft for diagnosis with review by radiologist | 16 | $219 | $1,247 |
| Stent placement and plaque removal in one vessel A procedure to clear plaque and blood clots from a single blood vessel, followed by the insertion of a stent and/or balloon dilation to keep the vessel open. |
15 | $489 | $2,230 |
| Intravascular ultrasound of heart vessel, initial An ultrasound procedure used to evaluate a blood vessel within the heart during a diagnostic or treatment procedure. |
14 | $35 | $290 |
| Pacemaker programming, dual lead system Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings. |
13 | $47 | $147 |
| Cerebral embolic protection device placement and removal A catheter-based procedure to place a device in the brain to prevent embolisms, followed by its removal, using imaging guidance. |
12 | $101 | $443 |
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.
27.0% high complexity
2.8% medium
70.2% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$8,821
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,260/year across 7 years
Top 27% in NC for cardiovascular disease
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
20
Companies
141
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
$2,452
2023
$653
2022
$554
2021
$422
2020
$133
2019
$1,936
2018
$2,671
Payments by company (2024)
Philips North America LLC
$1,353
Medtronic, Inc.
$324
Boston Scientific Corporation
$310
Abbott Laboratories
$307
Terumo Medical Corporation
$46
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$26
PFIZER INC.
$25
CARDIVA MEDICAL, INC.
$20
ATRICURE, INC.
$20
Novo Nordisk Inc
$20
Top 3 companies account for 81.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Abbott Laboratories
$2,510
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$2,307
Philips North America LLC
$1,353
Medtronic, Inc.
$612
ABIOMED
$556
Boston Scientific Corporation
$453
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$231
Novo Nordisk Inc
$153
Terumo Medical Corporation
$126
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$106
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$105
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$72
CARDIVA MEDICAL, INC.
$50
Penumbra, Inc.
$49
Biosense Webster, Inc.
$33
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$33
PFIZER INC.
$25
ATRICURE, INC.
$20
Teleflex LLC
$18
Cardinal Health 200, LLC
$11
Top 3 companies account for 69.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(6582) Visions 035 · (9520) IGT Devices Undivided · AMPLATZER AMULET · AVVIGO Guidance System · Acculink carotid stent system · Asahi Fielder coronary guide wire · COMET · COREVALVE EVOLUT R · Cardiva VASCADE MVP VVCS 6-12F · Carto 3 · CoreValve Evolut · DRAGONFLY OPSTAR · Dragonfly OCT · GENERAL - ULTRASOUND · GLIDEWIRE · General - Atherectomy · Impella · Indigo · JARDIANCE · LifeVest · Manta · MetaCross · NAVITOR · ONYX FRONTIER · OPTIS · OptiCross · Portico Transcatheter Aortic HV · Portico Transcatheter Aortic Heart Valve · ROTAPRO · Resolute · SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA · SAVVYWIRE · SYMPLICITY G3 · SYNERGY · SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM · VYNDAQEL · WATCHMAN FLX · Wegovy · Wolverine Coronary Cutting Balloon · XIENCE SIERRA · XIENCE SKYPOINT · Xience Sierra Coronary Stent · Xience Sierra Coronary Stent System · Xience V coronary stent system
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
Cardiologists in nearby ZIP areas
29
County median income
$70,578
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
MEMORIAL MISSION HOSPITAL AND ASHEVILLE SURGERY CE
4.8 mi
4.8 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. Abernethy is an interventional & electrophysiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with 21 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. Abernethy experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Abernethy performed 333 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Abernethy receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Abernethy received a total of $8,821 from 20 companies across 141 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. Abernethy's costs compare to other cardiologists in Asheville?
Dr. Abernethy's average Medicare payment per service is $103. 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. Abernethy) 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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