2026 NPPES data Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician NPI 1487757605 MD
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BEN BARTON, MD

Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician in NASHVILLE, Tennessee. CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System profile including specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare prescribing data when reported.

Federal data — no proprietary rating. PlainDoctor publishes the actual CMS NPPES and Medicare records — NPI registration, specialty, practice location, and prescribing data — without a composite score or editorial opinion on top. Every field traces to a federal source.
Prescribing volume
43
Medicare Part D claims · 22 beneficiaries · Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician avg: 128
MIPS score
95.6914/100
▲ 13 pts above national avg 83.1 · [object Object]
Industry payments
$847.44
44 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
What the federal data reveals: BEN BARTON, MD is a Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician ([object Object]) practicing in NASHVILLE, Tennessee with a Medicare Part D prescribing footprint of 43 claims across 22 beneficiaries . Their CMS MIPS Final Score of 95.6914/100 (national average: 83.1) reflects performance across Quality, Cost, Interoperability, and Improvement Activities . Industry payments of $847.44 across 44 transactions are disclosed under CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act).

What stands out: BEN BARTON, MD reported a CMS MIPS final score of 95.6914 out of 100, above the 83.1 national average, and filed 43 Medicare Part D claims in 2023. Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records, with no proprietary rating applied.

Board certification likely (heuristic — not verified)

BEN BARTON, MD practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + MIPS quality reporting + 1 hospital affiliation — signals consistent with board-certified status. For verified board certification, see CertificationMatters.org (the official ABMS public lookup).

BEN BARTON, MD at a glance

High performer (top quartile)

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 09/06/2006

NPI 1487757605

Primary specialty

Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician

Mid-sized

5,062 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

43 66% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 128

MIPS final score

95.6914/100 12.591400000000007% pts

Exceptional band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in Tennessee

How Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician compares to other specialties among Tennessee providers

Tennessee providers

Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician share within Tennessee

1. Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician share within Tennessee

Medicare quality performance — MIPS

BEN BARTON, MD's 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician national average

High performer (top quartile)
MIPS Final Score
95.6914/100
vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year

MIPS final score (Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician) — 95.6914/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%95.7%
MIPS final score (Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician) — 95.6914/100 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).

BEN BARTON, MD is a Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician provider practicing in NASHVILLE, Tennessee, according to the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). Credentials: MD. NPI: 1487757605. This profile includes practice location, specialty classification, and organizational affiliations from the CMS provider registry. Provider information is self-reported to CMS and updated monthly.

BEN BARTON, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician provider holding MD credentials at 3601 THE VANDERBILT CLINIC, NASHVILLE, TN, 37232, with a listed phone of (615) 322-3000. NPI 1487757605 was issued on 09/06/2006. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what BARTON 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 43 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 22 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $295 in drug spend. 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 95.6914/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 85.2885), compared with the national average of 83.1.

Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 5,062 enrolled providers across 52 states and an average of 128 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

3601 THE VANDERBILT CLINIC
NASHVILLE, TN 37232

Provider Details

NPI 1487757605
Specialty Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician
Credentials MD
Gender Male
NPI Issued 09/06/2006

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

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

95.6914
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
85.2885
Quality
100
Promoting Interoperability

Reporting: Alternative Payment Model

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where BEN BARTON, MD 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.

UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM, INC.
KNOXVILLE, TN

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 BEN BARTON, MD. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$847

Largest payer

ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)

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.

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

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

43
Total Claims
$295
Total Drug Cost
22
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
45
Total Day Supply
645
Brand Drug Cost
$0
Generic Drug Cost
$295

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
71.0 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.11

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

Drug Claims
Mupirocin
17
Amiodarone Hcl
15

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

Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician Overview

How BEN BARTON, MD fits within the Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician landscape nationally.

5,062
Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician Providers in US
52
States with Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician
128
Avg Claims per Provider

BEN BARTON, MD's 43 claims are below the specialty average of 128.

Nearby Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician Providers in Tennessee

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

Compare Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is BEN BARTON, MD's specialty?
BEN BARTON, MD specializes in Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician and practices in NASHVILLE, Tennessee. Credentials: MD.
How much does BEN BARTON, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, BEN BARTON, MD wrote 43 Medicare Part D claims totaling $295 in drug costs for 22 beneficiaries.
What is BEN BARTON, MD's Medicare quality score?
BEN BARTON, MD has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 95.6914/100 (Quality: 85.2885). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is BEN BARTON, MD located?
BEN BARTON, MD is located at 3601 THE VANDERBILT CLINIC, NASHVILLE, TN, 37232. Phone: (615) 322-3000.
What is BEN BARTON, MD's NPI number?
BEN BARTON, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1487757605, issued on 09/06/2006.
How many Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 5,062 Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician providers across 52 states in the US. The average Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician provider writes 128 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does BEN BARTON, MD prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, BEN BARTON, MD's most frequently prescribed drugs include Mupirocin, Amiodarone Hcl. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does BEN BARTON, MD accept Medicare?
BEN BARTON, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 43 Part D claims and 22 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify BEN BARTON, MD's credentials?
BEN BARTON, MD's NPI is 1487757605 with credentials MD. 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