NPI registry status
Active
2026 NPPES data Internal Medicine Physician NPI 1003478124 MD
Verify on CMS → Christopher Edward Garces, MD
Internal Medicine Physician in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 174,792 in Internal Medicine Physician, 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
213
Medicare Part D claims · 65 beneficiaries · Internal Medicine Physician avg: 3K
Generic prescribing
75%
generic claims · 25% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File, 2024
What the federal data shows
Christopher Edward Garces, MD filed 213 Medicare Part D claims in 2024 as an Internal Medicine Physician in Saint Paul, Minnesota, prescribing 75% generic.
- 213
- Part D claims, 2024
- 75%
- generic prescribing
- Likely
- board-certified (heuristic)
- ≥48th
- pct by Part D claim volume (lower-bound band)
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.
Federal trust snapshot
What official records show about Christopher Edward Garces, MD
Federal records show an active NPI with Medicare Part D prescribing activity — verifiable registry data, not a proprietary rating.
- Verified
NPI registry status
Active listing in the CMS National Provider Identifier Registry (NPI 1003478124), first enumerated 06/28/2019.
Source: CMS NPPES
- Reported
Medicare Part D participation
Filed 213 Medicare Part D prescription claims in the 2023 CMS public use file — indicates active Medicare prescribing participation.
Source: CMS Part D Prescriber PUF
- Reported
Board certification signal
Heuristic suggests board-certified status based on ABMS-eligible specialty taxonomy plus active CMS participation signals — not a direct ABMS verification.
- Reported
Hospital affiliations
1 CMS Care Compare hospital affiliation on record — practice footprint from the Doctors and Clinicians file.
Source: CMS Care Compare
- Not in federal data
Individual sanction lookup
PlainDoctor does not publish per-provider disciplinary determinations. Confirm current license and any individual actions through the state medical board or FSMB verification service.
Source: State medical board / FSMB
This trust snapshot summarizes only what appears in federal CMS/NPPES public records. It is not a composite score, star rating, patient review, or clinical recommendation. PlainDoctor never fabricates reviews or AggregateRating schema.
CMS NPPES provider registry desk
NPI 1003478124 · Internal Medicine Physician
NPI-10 · ENUM-RECENT · TAX-MEGA · RX-LIGHT · BOOK-LIGHT · PHOTO-ENUM
- NPI-10 1003478124
- ENUM-RECENT 2019
- TAX-MEGA 175K Internal Medicine
- RX-LIGHT 213
- BOOK-LIGHT 3,440 in Minnesota
- PHOTO-ENUM Joshua Narh · 2019
Christopher Edward Garces, MD's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber
Total Medicare Part D claims, 2024, across all CMS prescribers nationally
213 ≥ 48th percentile 48% of 1,416,883 prescribers are in lower value bands
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.
The percentile is a conservative 100-claim band: it counts only prescribers in lower claim-volume bands. Medicare Part D claim volume is activity context, not a quality measure or recommendation. See methodology § corpus placement.
Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File · 2024
✓
Board certification likely (heuristic, not verified)
Christopher Edward Garces, MD practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + 1 hospital affiliation - signals consistent with board-certified status. For verified board certification, see CertificationMatters.org (the official ABMS public lookup).
What does the federal data show about Christopher Edward Garces, MD?
Quality data not reportedPrimary specialty
Internal Medicine Physician
Medicare Part D claims
213 92% vs specialty avg
Specialty distribution in Minnesota
How Internal Medicine Physician compares to other specialties among Minnesota 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 Internal Medicine Physician. 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).
Practice Address
Provider Details
| NPI | 1003478124 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Internal Medicine Physician |
| Credentials | MD |
| Gender | Male |
| NPI Issued | 06/28/2019 |
Hospital and facility affiliations
Facilities where Christopher Edward Garces, 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.
Allina Health System
St Paul, MN
Affiliations sourced from CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File; hospital ratings from CMS Hospital General Information dataset (cross-referenced by facility name + state).
Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Above average
Christopher Edward Garces, MD - brand share 25.0%
Internal Medicine Physician average
25% brand-name claims vs 75% generic, on 213 2024 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 2024.
213
Total Claims
$274K
Total Drug Cost
65
Medicare Beneficiaries
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 282.967
- Total Day Supply
- 7,852
- Brand vs Generic
- 25% brand / 75% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $272K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $2K
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 68.0 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 2.46
- Gender Split
- 66% female / 34% male
- Age Distribution
- <65: 16, 65-74: 31, 75-84: N/A, 85+: N/A
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2024. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What Christopher Edward Garces, MD prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2024
- Prednisone
Prednisone
66 claims
- Hydroxychloroquine…
Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate
31 claims
- Allopurinol 16
Allopurinol
16 claims
- Benlysta 15
Benlysta
15 claims
- Enbrel Mini 11
Enbrel Mini
11 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Prednisone | 66 |
| Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate | 31 |
| Allopurinol | 16 |
| Benlysta Belimumab | 15 |
| Enbrel Mini Etanercept | 11 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Internal Medicine Physician Overview
How Christopher Edward Garces, MD fits within the Internal Medicine Physician landscape nationally.
174,792
Internal Medicine Physician Providers in US
56
States with Internal Medicine Physician
2,785
Avg Claims per Provider
Christopher Edward Garces, MD's 213 claims are below the specialty average of 2,785.
Nationwide Internal Medicine Physician peers with similar MIPS or enrollment year
Two federal-record peer sets for Garces, both outside Minnesota so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Same NPPES enumeration year (2019)
Same-specialty clinicians who entered the NPI registry in the same calendar year, outside this state.
Nearby Internal Medicine Physician Providers in Minnesota
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Minnesota, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Garces.
One of 3,440 Internal Medicine Physician providers enrolled in Minnesota, 5 are shown here.
Dr. Christopher Aakre
MD
Rochester, MN
Dr. Karen Aarestad
MD
Brainerd, MN
Dr. Peter Aas
MD
Duluth, MN
Saud Abaalkhail
M.B.,B.S.
Minneapolis, MN
Dr. Mohamad Abbas
M.D.
Saint Paul, MN
Compare Internal Medicine Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Christopher Edward Garces, MD's specialty? ▼
Christopher Edward Garces, MD specializes in Internal Medicine Physician and practices in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Credentials: MD.
How much does Christopher Edward Garces, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2024, Christopher Edward Garces, MD wrote 213 Medicare Part D claims totaling $274K in drug costs for 65 beneficiaries.
Where is Christopher Edward Garces, MD located? ▼
Christopher Edward Garces, MD is located at 225 SMITH AVE N STE 300, Saint Paul, MN, 55102. Phone: (651) 241-5000.
What is Christopher Edward Garces, MD's NPI number? ▼
Christopher Edward Garces, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1003478124, issued on 06/28/2019.
Does Christopher Edward Garces, MD prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs? ▼
Christopher Edward Garces, MD's prescribing is 25% brand-name and 75% generic drugs by claim count, with $272K in brand drug costs.
How many Internal Medicine Physician providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 174,792 Internal Medicine Physician providers across 56 states in the US. The average Internal Medicine Physician provider writes 2,785 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Christopher Edward Garces, MD prescribe most often? ▼
Based on 2024 Medicare Part D data, Christopher Edward Garces, MD's most frequently prescribed drugs include Prednisone, Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate, Allopurinol. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Christopher Edward Garces, MD accept Medicare? ▼
Christopher Edward Garces, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 213 Part D claims and 65 Medicare beneficiaries in 2024. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Christopher Edward Garces, MD's credentials? ▼
Christopher Edward Garces, MD's NPI is 1003478124 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
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 (2024). 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 August 2026 (NPPES) / 2024 (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
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 August 2026.