2026 NPPES data Optometrist NPI 1598853103 O.D.
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DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.

Optometrist in PALO ALTO, California. 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
103
Medicare Part D claims · 65 beneficiaries · Optometrist avg: 257
Generic prescribing
84%
generic claims · 16% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
What the federal data reveals: DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. is a Optometrist ([object Object]) practicing in PALO ALTO, California with a Medicare Part D prescribing footprint of 103 claims across 65 beneficiaries — 16% brand-name prescribing .

What stands out: DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. filed 103 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 across PALO ALTO, California. Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records, with no proprietary rating applied.

DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. at a glance

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 10/10/2006

NPI 1598853103

Primary specialty

Optometrist

High-volume

60,463 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

103 60% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 257

Specialty distribution in California

How Optometrist compares to other specialties among California providers

California providers

Optometrist share within California

1. Optometrist42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Optometrist share within California

Specialty board-certification context

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

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

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

0%100%78%
Est. board-certified rate (Optometrist) — 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).

DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. is a Optometrist provider practicing in PALO ALTO, California, according to the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). Credentials: O.D.. NPI: 1598853103. 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.

DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Optometrist provider holding O.D. credentials at 795 EL CAMINO REAL, PALO ALTO, CA, 94301, with a listed phone of (650) 321-4121. NPI 1598853103 was issued on 10/10/2006. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what ATHENS 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 103 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 65 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $9K in drug spend, split 16% brand-name and 84% 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.

Optometrist is a high-volume specialty nationwide, with 60,463 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 257 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

795 EL CAMINO REAL
PALO ALTO, CA 94301

Provider Details

NPI 1598853103
Specialty Optometrist
Credentials O.D.
Gender Female
NPI Issued 10/10/2006

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where DESSIE ATHENS, O.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.

SUTTER BAY MEDICAL FOUNDATION
PALO ALTO, CA

Affiliations sourced from CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File; hospital ratings from CMS Hospital General Information dataset (cross-referenced by facility name + state).

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 DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.. To verify DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.'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 · Typical

DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. — brand share 16.0%
Specialty average (est.)

16% brand-name claims vs 84% generic, on 103 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.

103
Total Claims
$9K
Total Drug Cost
65
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
114
Total Day Supply
1,908
Brand vs Generic
16% brand / 84% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$6K
Generic Drug Cost
$2K

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
76.5 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
0.80
Gender Split
69% female / 31% male

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

Drug Claims
Erythromycin
Erythromycin Base
41
Tobramycin-Dexamethasone
Tobramycin/Dexamethasone
18

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

Optometrist Overview

How DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. fits within the Optometrist landscape nationally.

60,463
Optometrist Providers in US
56
States with Optometrist
257
Avg Claims per Provider

DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.'s 103 claims are below the specialty average of 257.

Nearby Optometrist Providers in California

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

Compare Optometrist nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.'s specialty?
DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. specializes in Optometrist and practices in PALO ALTO, California. Credentials: O.D..
How much does DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. wrote 103 Medicare Part D claims totaling $9K in drug costs for 65 beneficiaries.
Where is DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. located?
DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. is located at 795 EL CAMINO REAL, PALO ALTO, CA, 94301. Phone: (650) 321-4121.
What is DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.'s NPI number?
DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1598853103, issued on 10/10/2006.
Does DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.'s prescribing is 16% brand-name and 84% generic drugs by claim count, with $6K in brand drug costs.
How many Optometrist providers are there in the US?
There are 60,463 Optometrist providers across 56 states in the US. The average Optometrist provider writes 257 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Erythromycin, Tobramycin-Dexamethasone. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. accept Medicare?
DESSIE ATHENS, O.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 103 Part D claims and 65 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.'s credentials?
DESSIE ATHENS, O.D.'s NPI is 1598853103 with credentials O.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