Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Neelakanta Sukka

Internal Medicine · Kinston, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
100 AIRPORT RD, Kinston, NC 28501
9195184938
In practice since 2012 (13 years)
NPI: 1962756924 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. Sukka 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. Sukka

Dr. Neelakanta Sukka is an internal medicine specialist in Kinston, NC, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sukka performed 1,097 Medicare services across 637 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sukka received a total of $1,992 from 27 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 99 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in internal medicine. 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. Sukka 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.

✓ 13 years in practice ▲ Top 30% volume in NC $1,992 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,097
Medicare services
Top 30% in NC for internal medicine
637
Unique beneficiaries
$76
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~84 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
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.
475 $60 $178
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.
356 $89 $256
Hospital discharge management, 30+ min
This service covers the care provided by a physician or qualified healthcare professional on the day a patient is discharged from the hospital. It requires more than 30 minutes of total time spent on the day of discharge.
187 $88 $235
Advance care planning consultation, first 30 min
A session focused on discussing and documenting future healthcare preferences and goals. This service covers the initial 30 minutes of the planning discussion.
52 $59 $208
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 $499
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 ↗
$1,992
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $285/year across 7 years
Top 29% in NC for internal medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
27
Companies
99
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
$1,992 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$696
2023
$673
2022
$238
2021
$59
2020
$86
2019
$162
2018
$77

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$163
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$149
Inari Medical, Inc.
$114
Melinta Therapeutics, LLC
$98
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$63
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$46
Amgen Inc.
$38
Recor Medical Inc
$26
Top 3 companies account for 61.2% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$447
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$264
Inari Medical, Inc.
$195
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$123
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$101
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$99
Melinta Therapeutics, LLC
$98
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$97
ABBVIE INC.
$81
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$60
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$44
PFIZER INC.
$41
Amgen Inc.
$38
Allergan Inc.
$37
Boston Scientific Corporation
$33
AbbVie Inc.
$32
Recor Medical Inc
$26
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$24
ARGENX US, INC.
$23
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$20
Seagen Inc.
$20
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$20
Relypsa, Inc.
$15
BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc.
$15
Genentech USA, Inc.
$14
UCB, Inc.
$13
Sensible Medical Innovations Inc
$11
Top 3 companies account for 45.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AVYCAZ · Activase · CAMZYOS · DALVANCE · DIFICID · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · FARXIGA · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · IGALMI · JARDIANCE · LifeVest · PADCEV · PARADISE RENAL DENERVATION SYSTEM · PREVYMIS · ReDS system · Rezzayo · S · TEFLARO · ULTOMIRIS · Ultomiris · VYVGART · Veklury · Veltassa · Vimpat · WATCHMAN Access System · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · ZERBAXA
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for an internal medicine specialist in Kinston?
Compare internal medicine physicians in the Kinston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse internal medicine physicians nearby

Geographic Context

Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
74
Per 100K population
134.7
County median income
$44,795
Nearest hospital
UNC LENOIR HEALTH CARE
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. Sukka is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 30% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Sukka experienced with hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Sukka performed 475 hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity 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. Sukka receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Sukka received a total of $1,992 from 27 companies across 99 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. Sukka's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in Kinston?
Dr. Sukka's average Medicare payment per service is $76. 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. Sukka) 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 →