2026 NPPES data Otolaryngology Physician NPI 1497190599 M.D.
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CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.

Otolaryngology Physician in ANN ARBOR, Michigan. 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
187
Medicare Part D claims · 60 beneficiaries · Otolaryngology Physician avg: 509
Generic prescribing
90%
generic claims · 10% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Industry payments
$141.07
1 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)

What the federal data shows

CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. filed 187 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Otolaryngology Physician in ANN ARBOR, Michigan, prescribing 90% generic.

187
Part D claims, 2023
90%
generic prescribing
Likely
board-certified (heuristic)

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 WELCH, M.D.'s Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber

Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023 — across all CMS prescribers nationally

187 35th percentile higher than 35% of 1,370,886 prescribers

0–200: 670,926 prescribers (49%). This entry sits in this band. 200–400: 182,923 prescribers (13%). Above this entry. 400–600: 90,619 prescribers (7%). Above this entry. 600–800: 56,224 prescribers (4%). Above this entry. 800–1,000: 40,919 prescribers (3%). Above this entry. 1,000–1,200: 31,827 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,400: 26,224 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,400–1,600: 21,710 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,600–1,800: 19,072 prescribers (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–2,000: 16,451 prescribers (1%). Above this entry. 2,000–2,200: 213,991 prescribers (16%). Above this entry. This provider 0 2K+ every Part D prescriber (claims/yr), bucketed by value

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

Board certification likely (heuristic — not verified)

CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. 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 WELCH, M.D.?

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 05/02/2013

NPI 1497190599

Primary specialty

Otolaryngology Physician

Mid-sized

10,895 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

187 63% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 509

Specialty distribution in Michigan

How Otolaryngology Physician compares to other specialties among Michigan providers

Michigan providers

Otolaryngology Physician share within Michigan

1. Otolaryngology Physician42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Otolaryngology Physician share within Michigan

Specialty board-certification context

Estimated specialty board-certified rate — Otolaryngology Physician (ABMS / AOA reference)

Quality data not reported
Est. board-certified rate
78%
Otolaryngology Physician ABMS/AOA estimate

Est. board-certified rate (Otolaryngology Physician) — ABMS / AOA estimate

0%100%78%
Est. board-certified rate (Otolaryngology Physician) — ABMS / AOA estimate

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 WELCH, M.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Otolaryngology Physician provider holding M.D. credentials at 1500 E MEDICAL CENTER DR, ANN ARBOR, MI, 48109, with a listed phone of (734) 936-4000. NPI 1497190599 was issued on 05/02/2013. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what WELCH 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 187 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 60 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $5K in drug spend, split 10% brand-name and 90% 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.

Otolaryngology Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 10,895 enrolled providers across 54 states and an average of 509 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

1500 E MEDICAL CENTER DR
ANN ARBOR, MI 48109

Provider Details

NPI 1497190599
Specialty Otolaryngology Physician
Credentials M.D.
Gender Male
NPI Issued 05/02/2013

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.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.

REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
ANN ARBOR, MI

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 CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$141

Largest payer

Integra LifeSciences Corporation

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 — Michigan MI-BOM 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 ~41K Michigan medical licensees in 2023 — they are NOT specific to CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.. To verify CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.'s current license status, search the MI-BOM public license lookup directly, or check the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) verification service.

123
Total board actions, Michigan 2023
Across 120 cases
3.00
Actions per 1,000 licensees
Michigan statewide rate
probation
Most common action type
44 cases

MI-BOM 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 Michigan disciplinary trends page. Cross-checked against FSMB U.S. Medical Regulatory Trends.

Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Typical

CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. — brand share 10.0%
Specialty average (est.)

10% brand-name claims vs 90% generic, on 187 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.

187
Total Claims
$5K
Total Drug Cost
60
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
262
Total Day Supply
6,133
Brand vs Generic
10% brand / 90% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$1K
Generic Drug Cost
$4K

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
69.9 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.44
Gender Split
62% female / 38% male

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

What CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.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
Meclizine Hcl
22
Nortriptyline Hcl
17
Ofloxacin
16
Prednisolone Acetate
12
Alprazolam
11

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

Otolaryngology Physician Overview

How CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. fits within the Otolaryngology Physician landscape nationally.

10,895
Otolaryngology Physician Providers in US
54
States with Otolaryngology Physician
509
Avg Claims per Provider

CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.'s 187 claims are below the specialty average of 509.

Nearby Otolaryngology Physician Providers in Michigan

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

Compare Otolaryngology Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.'s specialty?
CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. specializes in Otolaryngology Physician and practices in ANN ARBOR, Michigan. Credentials: M.D..
How much does CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. wrote 187 Medicare Part D claims totaling $5K in drug costs for 60 beneficiaries.
Where is CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. located?
CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. is located at 1500 E MEDICAL CENTER DR, ANN ARBOR, MI, 48109. Phone: (734) 936-4000.
What is CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.'s NPI number?
CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1497190599, issued on 05/02/2013.
Does CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.'s prescribing is 10% brand-name and 90% generic drugs by claim count, with $1K in brand drug costs.
How many Otolaryngology Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 10,895 Otolaryngology Physician providers across 54 states in the US. The average Otolaryngology Physician provider writes 509 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Meclizine Hcl, Nortriptyline Hcl, Ofloxacin. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. accept Medicare?
CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 187 Part D claims and 60 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.'s credentials?
CHRISTOPHER WELCH, M.D.'s NPI is 1497190599 with credentials M.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.
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