Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Raymond Gaston, M.D.

Orthopedic Surgery · Charlotte, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
1915 RANDOLPH RD, Charlotte, NC 28207
7043232000
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1053334367 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Gaston 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. Gaston

Dr. Raymond Gaston is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Charlotte, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Gaston performed 1,226 Medicare services across 847 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Gaston received a total of $412,686 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 407 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Gaston 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 45% volume in NC $412,686 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,226
Medicare services
Top 45% in NC for orthopedic surgery
847
Unique beneficiaries
$73
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
Betamethasone steroid injection
An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate.
356 $5 $11
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.
179 $90 $237
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.
121 $119 $390
Tendon or ligament injection
A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament.
94 $39 $209
X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views
An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures.
87 $26 $65
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.
56 $65 $150
X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views
An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints.
45 $28 $83
Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views
An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints.
43 $31 $83
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint
Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint.
41 $36 $224
Incision of finger tendon sheath
A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon.
36 $419 $2,206
Hand nerve release or relocation
A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand.
31 $318 $1,300
New patient office visit (30-44 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range.
21 $68 $275
X-ray of hand, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test of the hand using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints.
20 $18 $77
Medication injection into palm
A procedure involving the injection of medication into the palm of the hand.
16 $51 $154
Wrist X-ray, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test of the wrist using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints.
15 $19 $79
Wrist to finger joint removal
Surgical removal of the bones forming the joints between the wrist and the fingers.
14 $530 $2,309
Injection of carpal tunnel 13 $64 $288
Palm tissue release
A procedure to release tissue in the palm of the hand.
13 $247 $827
Tendon transfer to back of hand
A surgical procedure where a tendon is moved to a new location on the back of the hand to restore function.
13 $315 $2,897
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint
Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space.
12 $37 $173
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.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$412,686
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $58,955/year across 7 years
Top 3% in NC for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
23
Companies
407
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$238,239 (57.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$124,872 (30.3%)
Financial / Ownership
Ownership or investment interests, royalties, and licensing fees
$31,575 (7.7%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$18,000 (4.4%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$54,833
2023
$71,488
2022
$35,692
2021
$85,089
2020
$37,552
2019
$91,295
2018
$36,736

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Stryker Corporation
$28,253
Endo USA, Inc.
$14,155
ENCORE MEDICAL, LP
$9,986
Pharmaceutical Business Consultants Limited
$1,000
Ossur Americas, Inc.
$461
Checkpoint Surgical, Inc
$400
AXOGEN
$276
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$148
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$131
Peerless Surgical Inc.
$23
Top 3 companies account for 95.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$103,627
ENCORE MEDICAL, LP
$82,102
Stryker Corporation
$65,690
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$42,904
DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
$29,649
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$18,135
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$16,246
Endo USA, Inc.
$14,155
Pharmaceutical Business Consultants Limited
$12,994
Checkpoint Surgical, Inc
$6,141
Aptis Medical, LLC
$4,985
restor3d, inc.
$4,618
CurveBeam LLC
$4,000
Synthes USA Products LLC
$2,060
TriMed, Inc.
$1,500
AXOGEN
$1,373
Peerless Surgical Inc.
$1,182
Exsomed Holding Company LLC
$511
Ossur Americas, Inc.
$461
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$158
Sonex Health, Inc.
$147
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$34
Medartis Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 60.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
APTUS · ARPE Primary Digits · Affixus · Alps Elbow · Alps Hand · Aptis DRUJ · Avance Nerve Graft · BILAYER WOUND MATRIX (BWM) · BME NITINOL CONTINUOUS COMPRESSION IMPLANTS · CONEXTIONS TR TENDON REPAIR SYSTEM-IMPLANT MECHANISM · Cannulated screws · Checkpoint Stimulators · DJO SURGICAL · DJO Surgical AltiVate Anatomic System · DJO Surgical AltiVate Reverse · DJO Surgical Discovery Elbow System · DVR Crosslock Plates/Screws/Pegs · Explor · Extremities Product Portfolio · FREEDOM WRIST · GAMMA · I-digits quantum · Integra · NCB Instruments/Plates/Screws · NEURAGEN · Nexel Elbow · ORTHOCORD · PRO · SURPASS EVOLVE · SX-ONE MICROKNIFE · Total Wrist Fusion · ULTRAGUIDECTR · VA-LCP · VA-LCP PLATES & SCREWS · VARIAX · XIAFLEX · mymobility Platform
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 →

The majority of payments (58%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for orthopedic surgery in NC.

Looking for an orthopedic surgery specialist in Charlotte?
Compare orthopedic surgeons in the Charlotte area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
202
Per 100K population
17.9
County median income
$83,765
Nearest hospital
CAROLINAS MEDICAL CENTER/BEHAV HEALTH
2.1 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. Gaston is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 3% of NC peers, with 19 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. Gaston experienced with betamethasone steroid injection?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Gaston performed 356 betamethasone steroid injection 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. Gaston receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Gaston received a total of $412,686 from 23 companies across 407 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. Gaston's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Charlotte?
Dr. Gaston's average Medicare payment per service is $73. 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. Gaston) 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 →
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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →