Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Samuel Cunningham, M.D., PH.D

Otolaryngology · Amarillo, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
6830 PLUM CREEK DR, Amarillo, TX 79124
8063559999
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1437193307 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. Cunningham 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. Cunningham? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Cunningham

Dr. Samuel Cunningham is an otolaryngology in Amarillo, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cunningham performed 1,317 Medicare services across 440 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cunningham received a total of $2,314 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 86 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in otolaryngology. 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. Cunningham is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 19 years in practice▲ Top 29% volume in TX$ $2,314 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,317
Medicare services
Top 29% in TX for otolaryngology
440
Unique beneficiaries
$33
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~69 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Allergy immunotherapy preparation520$9$48
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)391$58$180
Removal of impacted ear wax121$30$96
Dexamethasone injection (steroid)84$0$1
Comprehensive hearing and speech recognition test47$24$90
Test to assess middle ear function47$10$40
Diagnostic exam of voice box using a flexible endoscope36$82$235
Diagnostic exam of nasal passages using an endoscope30$133$613
New patient office visit (45-59 min)25$106$346
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)16$82$275
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 ↗
$2,314
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $331/year across 7 years
Top 36% in TX for otolaryngology
20
Companies
86
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
$2,184 (94.4%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$95 (4.1%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$35 (1.5%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$588
2023
$566
2022
$388
2021
$210
2020
$33
2019
$363
2018
$167

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Acclarent, Inc
$518
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$355
GENZYME CORPORATION
$286
Stryker Corporation
$278
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$257
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$138
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$95
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$83
OptiNose US, Inc.
$59
Aerin Medical Inc.
$42
Itamar Medical Inc
$35
Cochlear Americas
$28
Olympus America Inc.
$24
Intersect ENT, Inc.
$22
Covidien LP
$20
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$19
Medtronic, Inc.
$17
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$16
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$12
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$11
Top 3 companies account for 50.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCLARENT Balloon Inflation Device · ACCLARENT NAVWIRE Sinus Navigation Guidewire · ACCLARENT SE Inflation Device · CIPRODEX · CONSUMABLES · Coblation Wands · DUPIXENT · ENTELLUS - XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM · INC. · INSPIRE · LigaSure · MEDLINE INDUSTRIES · NUCALA · Nucleus · Olympus · Otovel · PROPEL · PTEYE PARATHYROID DETECTION SYSTEM · RELIEVA SPINPLUS · Relieva Spinplus · SCOPIS ENT · SPIROX - LATERA · TruDi NAV Cable · TruDi Navigation System · VNS THERAPY SENTIVA MODEL 1000 GENERATOR · VOQUEZNA · WatchPAT · Xhance
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 (94%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $176 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a otolaryngology in Amarillo?
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Geographic Context

Otolaryngologys within 10 mi
9
Per 100K population
7.7
County median income
$50,448
Nearest hospital
QUAIL CREEK SURGICAL HOSPITAL
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/A

This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Cunningham is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 29% in TX), and low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 years of practice experience.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Cunningham experienced with allergy immunotherapy preparation?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cunningham performed 520 allergy immunotherapy preparation 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. Cunningham receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Cunningham received a total of $2,314 from 20 companies across 86 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. Cunningham's costs compare to other otolaryngologys in Amarillo?
Dr. Cunningham's average Medicare payment per service is $33. 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. Cunningham) 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. The Transparency Score measures 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 →