2026 NPPES data Internal Medicine Physician NPI 1922009802 MD
Verify on CMS →

GARY BUFFINGTON, MD

Internal Medicine Physician in GREAT FALLS, Montana. 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
22
Medicare Part D claims · Internal Medicine Physician avg: 3K
MIPS score
81.435/100
▼ 2 pts below national avg 83.1 · [object Object]
What the federal data reveals: GARY BUFFINGTON, MD is a Internal Medicine Physician ([object Object]) practicing in GREAT FALLS, Montana with a Medicare Part D prescribing footprint of 22 claims . Their CMS MIPS Final Score of 81.435/100 (national average: 83.1) reflects performance across Quality, Cost, Interoperability, and Improvement Activities .

What stands out: GARY BUFFINGTON, MD reported a CMS MIPS final score of 81.435 out of 100, below the 83.1 national average, and filed 22 Medicare Part D claims in 2023. Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records, with no proprietary rating applied.

Board certification likely (heuristic — not verified)

GARY BUFFINGTON, MD practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + MIPS quality reporting — signals consistent with board-certified status. For verified board certification, see CertificationMatters.org (the official ABMS public lookup).

GARY BUFFINGTON, MD at a glance

Near national average

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 08/02/2005

NPI 1922009802

Primary specialty

Internal Medicine Physician

High-volume

172,858 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

22 99% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 2,716

MIPS final score

81.435/100 1.664999999999992% pts

Above neutral band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in Montana

How Internal Medicine Physician compares to other specialties among Montana providers

Montana providers

Internal Medicine Physician share within Montana

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

Medicare quality performance — MIPS

GARY BUFFINGTON, MD's 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Internal Medicine Physician national average

Near national average
MIPS Final Score
81.435/100
vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year

MIPS final score (Internal Medicine Physician) — 81.435/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%81.4%
MIPS final score (Internal Medicine Physician) — 81.435/100 vs national avg 83.1

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).

GARY BUFFINGTON, MD is a Internal Medicine Physician provider practicing in GREAT FALLS, Montana, according to the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). Credentials: MD. NPI: 1922009802. 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.

GARY BUFFINGTON, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Internal Medicine Physician provider holding MD credentials at 1101 26TH ST S, GREAT FALLS, MT, 59405, with a listed phone of (406) 455-4690. NPI 1922009802 was issued on 08/02/2005. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what BUFFINGTON 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 22 prescription claims written by this provider, covering N/A Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $3K in drug spend. 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. On the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, this provider earned a Final Score of 81.435/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 73.2294, Cost 64.8872), compared with the national average of 83.1.

Internal Medicine Physician is a high-volume specialty nationwide, with 172,858 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 2,716 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

1101 26TH ST S
GREAT FALLS, MT 59405

Provider Details

NPI 1922009802
Specialty Internal Medicine Physician
Credentials MD
Gender Male
NPI Issued 08/02/2005

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores from CMS, 2023 performance year.

81.435
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
73.2294
Quality
64.8872
Cost
100
Promoting Interoperability

Reporting: Group practice

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.

22
Total Claims
$3K
Total Drug Cost
N/A
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
22
Total Day Supply
446
Generic Drug Cost
$216

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
67.3 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
2.66

Internal Medicine Physician Overview

How GARY BUFFINGTON, MD fits within the Internal Medicine Physician landscape nationally.

172,858
Internal Medicine Physician Providers in US
56
States with Internal Medicine Physician
2,716
Avg Claims per Provider

GARY BUFFINGTON, MD's 22 claims are below the specialty average of 2,716.

Nearby Internal Medicine Physician Providers in Montana

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

Compare Internal Medicine Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GARY BUFFINGTON, MD's specialty?
GARY BUFFINGTON, MD specializes in Internal Medicine Physician and practices in GREAT FALLS, Montana. Credentials: MD.
How much does GARY BUFFINGTON, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, GARY BUFFINGTON, MD wrote 22 Medicare Part D claims totaling $3K in drug costs for N/A beneficiaries.
What is GARY BUFFINGTON, MD's Medicare quality score?
GARY BUFFINGTON, MD has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 81.435/100 (Quality: 73.2294, Cost: 64.8872). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is GARY BUFFINGTON, MD located?
GARY BUFFINGTON, MD is located at 1101 26TH ST S, GREAT FALLS, MT, 59405. Phone: (406) 455-4690.
What is GARY BUFFINGTON, MD's NPI number?
GARY BUFFINGTON, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1922009802, issued on 08/02/2005.
How many Internal Medicine Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 172,858 Internal Medicine Physician providers across 56 states in the US. The average Internal Medicine Physician provider writes 2,716 Medicare Part D claims per year.
Does GARY BUFFINGTON, MD accept Medicare?
GARY BUFFINGTON, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 22 Part D claims and N/A Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify GARY BUFFINGTON, MD's credentials?
GARY BUFFINGTON, MD's NPI is 1922009802 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

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.
Quality Performance
CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) — 2023 performance year.
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