NPI registry status
Active
2026 NPPES data Surgical Physician Assistant NPI 1255751434
Verify on CMS → Christopher Cortez
Surgical Physician Assistant in Madera, California.
This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 16,179 in Surgical Physician Assistant, 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
399
Medicare Part D claims · 281 beneficiaries · Surgical Physician Assistant avg: 316
Generic prescribing
89%
generic claims · 7% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File, 2023
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.
What the federal data shows
Christopher Cortez filed 399 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Surgical Physician Assistant in Madera, California, prescribing 89% generic.
- 399
- Part D claims, 2023
- 89%
- generic prescribing
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.
Christopher Cortez's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber
Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023, across all CMS prescribers nationally
399 Top 43% higher than 57% of 1,370,886 prescribers
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more prescribers. 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 Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File · 2023
What does the federal data show about Christopher Cortez?
Quality data not reportedPrimary specialty
Surgical Physician Assistant
Medicare Part D claims
399 26% vs specialty avg
Specialty distribution in California
How Surgical Physician Assistant compares to other specialties among California providers
Board certification
Not published by CMS
CMS does not publish a per-provider board-certification field in NPPES. PlainDoctor does not have a reliable per-specialty certification rate to show for Surgical Physician Assistant. Verify directly:
How MIPS and board certification work
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).
Christopher Cortez appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Surgical Physician Assistant provider at 344 E 6TH ST, Madera, CA, 93638, with a listed phone of (518) 926-9516. NPI 1255751434 was issued on 04/26/2014.
Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 399 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 281 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $7K in drug spend, split 7% brand-name and 89% generic by claim count.
Surgical Physician Assistant is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 16,179 enrolled providers across 54 states and an average of 316 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
Provider Details
| NPI | 1255751434 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Surgical Physician Assistant |
| Gender | Male |
| NPI Issued | 04/26/2014 |
License & disciplinary context - California MBC 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 ~150K California medical licensees in 2023 - they are NOT specific to Christopher Cortez. To verify Christopher Cortez's current license status, search the MBC public license lookup directly, or check the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) verification service.
576
Total board actions, California 2023
Across 556 cases
3.84
Actions per 1,000 licensees
California statewide rate
probation
Most common action type
186 cases
MBC 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 California disciplinary trends page. Cross-checked against FSMB U.S. Medical Regulatory Trends.
Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Generic-heavy
Christopher Cortez - brand share 7.0%
Surgical Physician Assistant average
7% brand-name claims vs 89% generic, on 399 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.
399
Total Claims
$7K
Total Drug Cost
281
Medicare Beneficiaries
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 403
- Total Day Supply
- 5,055
- Brand vs Generic
- 7% brand / 89% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $3K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $4K
- Antibiotic Claims
- 199
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 71.7 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 1.06
- Gender Split
- 72% female / 28% male
- Age Distribution
- <65: 41, 65-74: 125, 75-84: 90, 85+: 25
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What Christopher Cortez prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Amoxicillin-Clavul…
Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Potass
56 claims
- Fluticasone Propio…
Fluticasone Propionate
54 claims
- Ciprofloxacin Hcl
Ciprofloxacin Hcl
34 claims
- Prednisone
Prednisone
28 claims
- Sulfamethoxazole-T…
Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim
26 claims
- Nitrofurantoin Mon…
Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro
23 claims
- Azithromycin 22
Azithromycin
22 claims
- Albuterol Sulfate … 14
Albuterol Sulfate Hfa
14 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Potass Amoxicillin/Potassium Clav | 56 |
| Fluticasone Propionate | 54 |
| Ciprofloxacin Hcl | 34 |
| Prednisone | 28 |
| Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim | 26 |
| Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro Nitrofurantoin Monohyd/M-Cryst | 23 |
| Azithromycin | 22 |
| Albuterol Sulfate Hfa Albuterol Sulfate | 14 |
| Paxlovid (Eua) Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir | 14 |
| Cephalexin | 13 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Surgical Physician Assistant Overview
How Christopher Cortez fits within the Surgical Physician Assistant landscape nationally.
16,179
Surgical Physician Assistant Providers in US
54
States with Surgical Physician Assistant
316
Avg Claims per Provider
Christopher Cortez's 399 claims are above the specialty average of 316.
Nearby Surgical Physician Assistant Providers in California
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in California, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Cortez.
Dr. Terri Abbott
P.A.
La Jolla, CA
Dr. Emily Abdinor
PA-C
Sacramento, CA
Dr. Jory Adam
PA-C
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Dr. Zulhumar Adil
PA-C
Fullerton, CA
Dr. Neil Adler
PA
San Jose, CA
Compare Surgical Physician Assistant 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 California medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
- Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Surgical Physician Assistant 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Christopher Cortez's specialty? ▼
Christopher Cortez specializes in Surgical Physician Assistant and practices in Madera, California.
How much does Christopher Cortez prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2023, Christopher Cortez wrote 399 Medicare Part D claims totaling $7K in drug costs for 281 beneficiaries.
Where is Christopher Cortez located? ▼
Christopher Cortez is located at 344 E 6TH ST, Madera, CA, 93638. Phone: (518) 926-9516.
What is Christopher Cortez's NPI number? ▼
Christopher Cortez's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1255751434, issued on 04/26/2014.
Does Christopher Cortez prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs? ▼
Christopher Cortez's prescribing is 7% brand-name and 89% generic drugs by claim count, with $3K in brand drug costs.
How many Surgical Physician Assistant providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 16,179 Surgical Physician Assistant providers across 54 states in the US. The average Surgical Physician Assistant provider writes 316 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Christopher Cortez prescribe most often? ▼
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Christopher Cortez's most frequently prescribed drugs include Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Potass, Fluticasone Propionate, Ciprofloxacin Hcl. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Christopher Cortez accept Medicare? ▼
Christopher Cortez appears in CMS Medicare data with 399 Part D claims and 281 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Christopher Cortez's credentials? ▼
Christopher Cortez's NPI is 1255751434. 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
View source datasets and methodology notes
- 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.
- 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.
Every figure on PlainDoctor is rendered directly from the federal CMS NPPES registry, Medicare Part D, MIPS, and Open Payments records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.