NPI registry status
Active
2026 NPPES data Ophthalmology Physician NPI 1205934312 MD
Verify on CMS → Grace Kao, MD
Ophthalmology Physician in Irvine, California.
This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 22,082 in Ophthalmology 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 · 46 beneficiaries · Ophthalmology Physician avg: 1K
Generic prescribing
95%
generic claims · 5% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Industry payments
$25.34
1 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
Grace Kao, MD filed 213 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Ophthalmology Physician in Irvine, California, prescribing 95% generic.
- 213
- Part D claims, 2023
- 95%
- generic prescribing
- $25.34
- industry payments (Sunshine Act)
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.
Grace Kao, MD's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber
Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023, across all CMS prescribers nationally
213 49th percentile higher than 49% 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-eligible specialty (heuristic, not verified)
Grace Kao, MD practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty but we don't have enough CMS-participation signals to confirm active board-certified status. Consult CertificationMatters.org (the official ABMS public lookup).
What does the federal data show about Grace Kao, MD?
Quality data not reportedPrimary specialty
Ophthalmology Physician
Medicare Part D claims
213 85% vs specialty avg
Specialty distribution in California
How Ophthalmology Physician compares to other specialties among California 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 Ophthalmology 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).
Grace Kao, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as an Ophthalmology Physician provider holding MD credentials at 15785 LAGUNA CANYON RD, Irvine, CA, 92618, with a listed phone of (949) 551-8588. NPI 1205934312 was issued on 09/20/2006.
Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 213 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 46 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $68K in drug spend, split 5% brand-name and 95% generic by claim count.
Ophthalmology Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 22,082 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 1,420 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 | 1205934312 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Ophthalmology Physician |
| Credentials | MD |
| Gender | Female |
| NPI Issued | 09/20/2006 |
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 Grace Kao, MD. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.
Total received
$25
Largest payer
Eisai 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.
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 Grace Kao, MD. To verify Grace Kao, MD'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 · Generic-heavy
Grace Kao, MD - brand share 5.0%
Ophthalmology Physician average
5% brand-name claims vs 95% generic, on 213 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.
213
Total Claims
$68K
Total Drug Cost
46
Medicare Beneficiaries
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 351
- Total Day Supply
- 10,440
- Brand vs Generic
- 5% brand / 95% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $59K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $9K
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 75.7 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 1.04
- Gender Split
- 63% female / 37% male
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What Grace Kao, MD prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Celecoxib
Celecoxib
33 claims
- Gabapentin
Gabapentin
24 claims
- Selegiline Hcl
Selegiline Hcl
23 claims
- Rivastigmine 11
Rivastigmine
11 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Celecoxib | 33 |
| Gabapentin | 24 |
| Selegiline Hcl | 23 |
| Rivastigmine Rivastigmine Tartrate | 11 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Ophthalmology Physician Overview
How Grace Kao, MD fits within the Ophthalmology Physician landscape nationally.
22,082
Ophthalmology Physician Providers in US
56
States with Ophthalmology Physician
1,420
Avg Claims per Provider
Grace Kao, MD's 213 claims are below the specialty average of 1,420.
Nearby Ophthalmology Physician Providers in California
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in California, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Kao.
Dr. Sam Abbassi
MD, MS
West Hills, CA
Dr. Richard Abbott
M.D.
San Francisco, CA
Dr. Nizar Abdelfattah
MD
Pasadena, CA
Dr. Parastou Abedi
MD
Aliso Viejo, CA
Dr. Shahla Abedi
MD
Aliso Viejo, CA
Compare Ophthalmology 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 California medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
- Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Ophthalmology 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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Medical Specialties Explained
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How insurance networks affect your costs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Grace Kao, MD's specialty? ▼
Grace Kao, MD specializes in Ophthalmology Physician and practices in Irvine, California. Credentials: MD.
How much does Grace Kao, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2023, Grace Kao, MD wrote 213 Medicare Part D claims totaling $68K in drug costs for 46 beneficiaries.
Where is Grace Kao, MD located? ▼
Grace Kao, MD is located at 15785 LAGUNA CANYON RD, Irvine, CA, 92618. Phone: (949) 551-8588.
What is Grace Kao, MD's NPI number? ▼
Grace Kao, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1205934312, issued on 09/20/2006.
Does Grace Kao, MD prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs? ▼
Grace Kao, MD's prescribing is 5% brand-name and 95% generic drugs by claim count, with $59K in brand drug costs.
How many Ophthalmology Physician providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 22,082 Ophthalmology Physician providers across 56 states in the US. The average Ophthalmology Physician provider writes 1,420 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Grace Kao, MD prescribe most often? ▼
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Grace Kao, MD's most frequently prescribed drugs include Celecoxib, Gabapentin, Selegiline Hcl. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Grace Kao, MD accept Medicare? ▼
Grace Kao, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 213 Part D claims and 46 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Grace Kao, MD's credentials? ▼
Grace Kao, MD's NPI is 1205934312 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 (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.
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 May 2026.