2026 NPPES data Optometrist NPI 1629067640 O.D.
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Aric Welton, O.D.

Optometrist in Houston, Texas. This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers — including 60,463 in Optometrist, and covers specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare Part D prescribing data when reported. According to CMS, every field reflects the provider's official federal registration — see our methodology.

Federal data — no proprietary rating. We show these CMS records as-is — no composite score, no star rating, no editorial opinion layered on top.
Prescribing volume
298
Medicare Part D claims · 94 beneficiaries · Optometrist avg: 257
Generic prescribing
45%
generic claims · 55% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
MIPS score
97.6/100
▲ 15 pts above national avg 83.1 · Exceptional
Industry payments
$550.26
25 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.

What the federal data shows

Aric Welton, O.D. reported a CMS MIPS final score of 97.6/100 — above the 83.1 national average — and filed 298 Medicare Part D claims in 2023.

97.6/100
MIPS score · +15 vs avg
298
Part D claims, 2023
45%
generic prescribing
$550.26
industry payments (Sunshine Act)

Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records (NPPES, Medicare Part D, MIPS, Open Payments) — no proprietary rating or editorial opinion is applied.

Aric Welton, O.D.'s MIPS score vs every scored U.S. clinician

CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final score, 2023 — the federal quality measure

98 Top 15% higher than 85% of 477,587 scored providers

0–10: 8,684 scored providers (2%). Below this entry. 10–20: 3,008 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 20–30: 3,069 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 30–40: 2,746 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 40–50: 2,928 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 50–60: 5,882 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 60–70: 13,906 scored providers (3%). Below this entry. 70–80: 118,074 scored providers (25%). Below this entry. 80–90: 129,887 scored providers (27%). Below this entry. 90–100: 189,403 scored providers (40%). This entry sits in this band. This provider 0 100 every MIPS-scored clinician, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more scored providers. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) · 2023

Where Aric Welton, O.D. sits

This provider among optometrist peers

Across the 6,527 optometrist providers who report both Medicare Part D prescribing and a MIPS quality score, Aric Welton, O.D. writes more Part D claims than 44% of them and scores higher on MIPS quality than 84% — placing this provider in the lower-volume, high-quality quadrant. Volume reflects patient-panel size and specialty, not quality; the two axes are independent.

Part D claim volume vs MIPS quality, by specialty percentile

Lower volume · High qualityHigh volume · High qualityLower volume · Lower qualityHigh volume · Lower quality0255075100024.949.974.899.8Part D claim volume — percentile in specialtyMIPS quality — percentilePart D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 95 · MIPS quality — percentile: 47Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 85 · MIPS quality — percentile: 55Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 57 · MIPS quality — percentile: 78Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 52 · MIPS quality — percentile: 12Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 67 · MIPS quality — percentile: 82Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 20 · MIPS quality — percentile: 65Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 77 · MIPS quality — percentile: 52Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 73 · MIPS quality — percentile: 70Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 17 · MIPS quality — percentile: 50Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 92 · MIPS quality — percentile: 92Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 85 · MIPS quality — percentile: 20Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 97 · MIPS quality — percentile: 17Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 23 · MIPS quality — percentile: 57Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 65 · MIPS quality — percentile: 20Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 37 · MIPS quality — percentile: 0Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 93 · MIPS quality — percentile: 0Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 83 · MIPS quality — percentile: 95Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 13 · MIPS quality — percentile: 90Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 32 · MIPS quality — percentile: 67Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 88 · MIPS quality — percentile: 15Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 42 · MIPS quality — percentile: 33Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 63 · MIPS quality — percentile: 83Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 12 · MIPS quality — percentile: 95Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 62 · MIPS quality — percentile: 18Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 43 · MIPS quality — percentile: 37Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 45 · MIPS quality — percentile: 48Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 78 · MIPS quality — percentile: 80Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 60 · MIPS quality — percentile: 62Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 7 · MIPS quality — percentile: 7Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 8 · MIPS quality — percentile: 35Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 10 · MIPS quality — percentile: 73Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 33 · MIPS quality — percentile: 95Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 5 · MIPS quality — percentile: 10Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 58 · MIPS quality — percentile: 63Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 48 · MIPS quality — percentile: 20Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 100 · MIPS quality — percentile: 93Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 53 · MIPS quality — percentile: 30Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 90 · MIPS quality — percentile: 72Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 2 · MIPS quality — percentile: 8Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 68 · MIPS quality — percentile: 32Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 15 · MIPS quality — percentile: 38Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 28 · MIPS quality — percentile: 60Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 50 · MIPS quality — percentile: 42Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 45 · MIPS quality — percentile: 53Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 33 · MIPS quality — percentile: 20Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 27 · MIPS quality — percentile: 58Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 98 · MIPS quality — percentile: 88Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 25 · MIPS quality — percentile: 75Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 30 · MIPS quality — percentile: 40Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 82 · MIPS quality — percentile: 20Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 0 · MIPS quality — percentile: 13Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 22 · MIPS quality — percentile: 43Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 18 · MIPS quality — percentile: 68Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 55 · MIPS quality — percentile: 0Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 40 · MIPS quality — percentile: 85Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 75 · MIPS quality — percentile: 5Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 80 · MIPS quality — percentile: 95Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 70 · MIPS quality — percentile: 20Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 72 · MIPS quality — percentile: 77Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 3 · MIPS quality — percentile: 45Aric Welton, O.D. — Part D claim volume — percentile in specialty: 44 · MIPS quality — percentile: 84
Part D claim volume vs MIPS quality, by specialty percentile

Each dot is one optometrist peer from a representative sample of 60; the gold marker is Aric Welton, O.D.. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber data and the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, 2023.

What does the federal data show about Aric Welton, O.D.?

High performer (top quartile)

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 10/21/2005

NPI 1629067640

Primary specialty

Optometrist

High-volume

60,463 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

298 16% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 257

MIPS final score

97.6/100 14.5 pts vs avg

Exceptional band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in Texas

How Optometrist compares to other specialties among Texas providers

Texas providers

Largest specialties in Texas (% of in-state providers)

Behavior Technician — 5.6%Behavior Technician5.6%Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program — 5.1%Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program5.1%Family Nurse Practitioner — 4.5%Family Nurse Practitioner4.5%Professional Counselor — 4.4%Professional Counselor4.4%Pharmacist — 4.4%Pharmacist4.4%Speech-Language Pathologist — 3.9%Speech-Language Pathologist3.9%Optometrist — 1.1%Optometrist1.1%
Largest specialties in Texas (% of in-state providers)

Medicare quality performance — MIPS

Aric Welton, O.D.'s 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Optometrist national average

High performer (top quartile)
MIPS Final Score
97.6/100
vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year

MIPS final score (Optometrist) — 97.6/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%97.6%
MIPS final score (Optometrist) — 97.6/100 vs national avg 83.1

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores providers 0–100 across four performance categories: Quality, Cost, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities, weighted under 42 CFR §414.1380. Reporting is voluntary for many small practices, so absence of a MIPS score is not a quality signal.

Board certification through an ABMS or AOA member board signals voluntary post-licensure examination plus continuous Maintenance of Certification cycles. Verify any individual provider's status through certificationmatters.org (ABMS) or osteopathic.org (AOA).

Aric Welton, O.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Optometrist provider holding O.D. credentials at 3405 EDLOE ST, Houston, TX, 77027, with a listed phone of (713) 797-1500. NPI 1629067640 was issued on 10/21/2005. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what Welton most recently submitted to CMS rather than a vetted directory listing, which is why patients should always confirm the practice is still at this location before scheduling.

Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 298 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 94 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $67K in drug spend, split 55% brand-name and 45% generic by claim count. These figures capture only Medicare Part D — commercial insurance, Medicaid, and cash-pay prescriptions are not included, and any drug-beneficiary cell under 11 is suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. On the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, this provider earned a Final Score of 97.6/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 96.9, Cost 95.2), compared with the national average of 83.1.

Optometrist is a high-volume specialty nationwide, with 60,463 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 257 Part D claims per prescriber, so the context for interpreting these metrics differs meaningfully from a primary-care baseline. Important: PlainDoctor is a directory of publicly available government data, not medical advice, a malpractice database, or a quality rating. Inclusion here does not imply a recommendation, and absence of complaints or sanctions on this page does not mean none exist — always verify credentials through the NPPES NPI Registry, your state medical board, and the ABMS or AOA before making healthcare decisions.

Practice Address

3405 EDLOE ST
Houston, TX 77027

Provider Details

NPI 1629067640
Specialty Optometrist
Credentials O.D.
Gender Male
NPI Issued 10/21/2005

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores from CMS, 2023 performance year.

97.6473
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
96.9143
Quality
95.2433
Cost
100
Promoting Interoperability

Reporting: Group practice

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where Aric Welton, O.D. bills Medicare from. Star ratings (1-5) are CMS Hospital Compare's "Hospital overall rating" — a composite of mortality, readmission, patient experience, safety, timely care, and efficient use of medical imaging measures. Source: CMS Care Compare.

Marc R. Sanders, M.D., P.A.
Houston, TX

Affiliations sourced from CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File; hospital ratings from CMS Hospital General Information dataset (cross-referenced by facility name + state).

Industry payments received (2024) — CMS Open Payments transparency data

The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act (part of the Affordable Care Act) requires drug and medical-device manufacturers + group purchasing organizations to publicly report payments and other transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals. The data below covers 2024 for Aric Welton, O.D.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$550

Largest payer

SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.

Most common payment type

Food and Beverage

Industry payments are not necessarily indicators of bias — they include research funding, consulting fees for evidence-based work, royalties for inventions, food at conferences, and similar items. The disclosure exists for transparency. Read our methodology for how we interpret this data.

License & disciplinary context — Texas TMB 2023 annual report

Aggregate state board data only — NOT a determination of any individual provider's status. The figures below describe statewide disciplinary activity across all ~77K Texas medical licensees in 2023 — they are NOT specific to Aric Welton, O.D.. To verify Aric Welton, O.D.'s current license status, search the TMB public license lookup directly, or check the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) verification service.

344
Total board actions, Texas 2023
Across 334 cases
4.47
Actions per 1,000 licensees
Texas statewide rate
probation
Most common action type
94 cases

TMB publishes annual disciplinary statistics as part of public-record reporting under each state's Administrative Procedure Act. See the full breakdown by action type and year on the Texas disciplinary trends page. Cross-checked against FSMB U.S. Medical Regulatory Trends.

Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Brand-heavy

Aric Welton, O.D. — brand share 55.0%
Optometrist average

55% brand-name claims vs 45% generic, on 298 2023 Medicare Part D claims.

The federal Medicare Part D Generic Dispensing Rate national benchmark sits near 90% generic / 10% brand for primary-care prescribers, per CMS Office of the Actuary 2024 estimates. Higher brand share is common in specialty prescribing where generic equivalents are not available.

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.

298
Total Claims
$67K
Total Drug Cost
94
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
524
Total Day Supply
14,557
Brand vs Generic
55% brand / 45% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$59K
Generic Drug Cost
$8K
Antibiotic Claims
18

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
76.1 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.24
Gender Split
60% female / 40% male

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.

What Aric Welton, O.D. prescribes most

Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023

claims
Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File As of 2023
Drug Claims
Latanoprost
126
Lumigan
Bimatoprost
27
Alphagan P
Brimonidine Tartrate
19
Doxycycline Hyclate
18
Valacyclovir
Valacyclovir Hcl
12
Tobramycin-Dexamethasone
Tobramycin/Dexamethasone
11

* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.

Optometrist Overview

How Aric Welton, O.D. fits within the Optometrist landscape nationally.

60,463
Optometrist Providers in US
56
States with Optometrist
257
Avg Claims per Provider

Aric Welton, O.D.'s 298 claims are above the specialty average of 257.

Nearby Optometrist Providers in Texas

Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Texas, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Welton.

Compare Optometrist nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Before you book an appointment

Use this federal record as your verification checklist, not as a recommendation.

  • Confirm the NPI record is current in the official CMS registry — providers update their own NPPES details, and moves can lag. Verify this NPI
  • Check the active license and any disciplinary history with the Texas medical board — federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
  • Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Optometrist peer on Medicare volume and prescribing patterns. Compare providers

Medicare Part D and MIPS figures describe practice patterns in federal programs only — they are not quality ratings, and PlainDoctor does not rate, rank, or recommend providers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Aric Welton, O.D.'s specialty?
Aric Welton, O.D. specializes in Optometrist and practices in Houston, Texas. Credentials: O.D..
How much does Aric Welton, O.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, Aric Welton, O.D. wrote 298 Medicare Part D claims totaling $67K in drug costs for 94 beneficiaries.
What is Aric Welton, O.D.'s Medicare quality score?
Aric Welton, O.D. has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 97.6/100 (Quality: 96.9, Cost: 95.2). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is Aric Welton, O.D. located?
Aric Welton, O.D. is located at 3405 EDLOE ST, Houston, TX, 77027. Phone: (713) 797-1500.
What is Aric Welton, O.D.'s NPI number?
Aric Welton, O.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1629067640, issued on 10/21/2005.
Does Aric Welton, O.D. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
Aric Welton, O.D.'s prescribing is 55% brand-name and 45% generic drugs by claim count, with $59K in brand drug costs.
How many Optometrist providers are there in the US?
There are 60,463 Optometrist providers across 56 states in the US. The average Optometrist provider writes 257 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Aric Welton, O.D. prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Aric Welton, O.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Latanoprost, Lumigan, Alphagan P. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Aric Welton, O.D. accept Medicare?
Aric Welton, O.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 298 Part D claims and 94 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Aric Welton, O.D.'s credentials?
Aric Welton, O.D.'s NPI is 1629067640 with credentials O.D.. You can verify this through the NPPES NPI Registry, check state medical board records, and confirm board certification through the ABMS or AOA.

Data Sources

Provider Directory
CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), download.cms.gov/nppes, updated monthly. Contains NPI, specialty, credentials, and practice location.
Specialty Classification
NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy (nucc.org), the industry standard for classifying provider specialties in Medicare and Medicaid billing.
Prescribing Data
CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File (2023). Includes claims, drug costs, beneficiaries, and opioid prescribing rates.
Quality Performance
CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) — 2023 performance year.
Limitations
Provider data is self-reported to CMS. Prescribing data reflects Medicare Part D only and does not include commercial insurance, Medicaid, or cash prescriptions. Claims below 11 beneficiaries are suppressed by CMS for privacy.

See our complete data methodology for details on how we collect and process government data.

Data as of April 2026 (NPPES) / 2023 (Medicare Part D). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Disclaimer: Data from CMS NPPES and Medicare Part D. PlainDoctor does not rate or rank providers. Provider information is self-reported and may not be current. Always verify information directly with the provider. About · Methodology

Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.