NPI registry status
Active
2026 NPPES data Urology Physician NPI 1497015648 M.D.
Verify on CMS → Deborah Hess, M.D.
Urology Physician in Wilmington, North Carolina.
This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 13,350 in Urology 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
661
Medicare Part D claims · 337 beneficiaries · Urology Physician avg: 1K
Generic prescribing
80%
generic claims · 20% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Industry payments
$1.0K
32 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
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
Deborah Hess, M.D. filed 661 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Urology Physician in Wilmington, North Carolina, prescribing 80% generic.
- 661
- Part D claims, 2023
- 80%
- 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.
Deborah Hess, M.D.'s Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber
Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023, across all CMS prescribers nationally
661 Top 31% higher than 69% 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
✓
Board certification likely (heuristic, not verified)
Deborah Hess, M.D. practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + 2 hospital affiliations - 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 Deborah Hess, M.D.?
Quality data not reportedPrimary specialty
Urology Physician
Medicare Part D claims
661 48% vs specialty avg
Specialty distribution in North Carolina
How Urology Physician compares to other specialties among North Carolina 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 Urology 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).
Deborah Hess, M.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Urology Physician provider holding M.D. credentials at 1202 MEDICAL CENTER DR, Wilmington, NC, 28401, with a listed phone of (910) 341-3300. NPI 1497015648 was issued on 05/22/2012.
Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 661 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 337 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $112K in drug spend, split 20% brand-name and 80% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 10.4%.
Urology Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 13,350 enrolled providers across 54 states and an average of 1,280 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 | 1497015648 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Urology Physician |
| Credentials | M.D. |
| Gender | Female |
| NPI Issued | 05/22/2012 |
Hospital and facility affiliations
Facilities where Deborah Hess, 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.
Unc Physicians Network LLC
Rocky Mount, NC
Wilmington Health PLLC
Jacksonville, NC
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 Deborah Hess, M.D.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.
Total received
$1.0K
Largest payer
Medtronic, 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.
Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Typical
Deborah Hess, M.D. - brand share 20.0%
Urology Physician average
20% brand-name claims vs 80% generic, on 661 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.
661
Total Claims
$112K
Total Drug Cost
337
Medicare Beneficiaries
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 1,253
- Total Day Supply
- 31,934
- Brand vs Generic
- 20% brand / 80% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $85K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $28K
- Opioid Claims
- 69 (10.4% rate)
- Antibiotic Claims
- 169
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 73.2 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 1.23
- Gender Split
- 93% female / 7% male
- Age Distribution
- <65: 22, 65-74: 153, 75-84: 137, 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 Deborah Hess, M.D. prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Estradiol
Estradiol
177 claims
- Myrbetriq 69
Myrbetriq
69 claims
- Oxybutynin Chlorid… 68
Oxybutynin Chloride Er
68 claims
- Oxycodone Hcl 56
Oxycodone Hcl
56 claims
- Nitrofurantoin Mon… 55
Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro
55 claims
- Nitrofurantoin 32
Nitrofurantoin
32 claims
- Sulfamethoxazole-T… 32
Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim
32 claims
- Solifenacin Succin… 23
Solifenacin Succinate
23 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Estradiol | 177 |
| Myrbetriq Mirabegron | 69 |
| Oxybutynin Chloride Er Oxybutynin Chloride | 68 |
| Oxycodone Hcl | 56 |
| Nitrofurantoin Mono-Macro Nitrofurantoin Monohyd/M-Cryst | 55 |
| Nitrofurantoin Nitrofurantoin Macrocrystal | 32 |
| Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim | 32 |
| Solifenacin Succinate | 23 |
| Gemtesa Vibegron | 21 |
| Tamsulosin Hcl | 21 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Urology Physician Overview
How Deborah Hess, M.D. fits within the Urology Physician landscape nationally.
13,350
Urology Physician Providers in US
54
States with Urology Physician
1,280
Avg Claims per Provider
Deborah Hess, M.D.'s 661 claims are below the specialty average of 1,280.
Nearby Urology Physician Providers in North Carolina
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in North Carolina, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Hess.
Dr. Victor Abraham
MD
Wilmington, NC
Dr. Yousef Abu-Salha
MD
Cary, NC
Dr. Donald Allen
PA
Charlotte, NC
Dr. Joseph Allen
M.D.
Clayton, NC
Dr. Joselito Almario
MD
Ahoskie, NC
Compare Urology Physician 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 North Carolina medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
- Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Urology Physician 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 Deborah Hess, M.D.'s specialty? ▼
Deborah Hess, M.D. specializes in Urology Physician and practices in Wilmington, North Carolina. Credentials: M.D..
How much does Deborah Hess, M.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2023, Deborah Hess, M.D. wrote 661 Medicare Part D claims totaling $112K in drug costs for 337 beneficiaries.
Where is Deborah Hess, M.D. located? ▼
Deborah Hess, M.D. is located at 1202 MEDICAL CENTER DR, Wilmington, NC, 28401. Phone: (910) 341-3300.
What is Deborah Hess, M.D.'s NPI number? ▼
Deborah Hess, M.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1497015648, issued on 05/22/2012.
Does Deborah Hess, M.D. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs? ▼
Deborah Hess, M.D.'s prescribing is 20% brand-name and 80% generic drugs by claim count, with $85K in brand drug costs.
Does Deborah Hess, M.D. prescribe opioids? ▼
Yes, Deborah Hess, M.D. had 69 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 10.4%.
How many Urology Physician providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 13,350 Urology Physician providers across 54 states in the US. The average Urology Physician provider writes 1,280 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Deborah Hess, M.D. prescribe most often? ▼
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Deborah Hess, M.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Estradiol, Myrbetriq, Oxybutynin Chloride Er. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Deborah Hess, M.D. accept Medicare? ▼
Deborah Hess, M.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 661 Part D claims and 337 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Deborah Hess, M.D.'s credentials? ▼
Deborah Hess, M.D.'s NPI is 1497015648 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
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.