NPI registry status
Active
2026 NPPES data Neurology Physician NPI 1255481420 MD
Verify on CMS → Heather Cwach, MD
Neurology Physician in Rapid City, South Dakota.
This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 19,866 in Neurology 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
1K
Medicare Part D claims · 85 beneficiaries · Neurology Physician avg: 1K
Generic prescribing
90%
generic claims · 9% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
MIPS score
97.6/100
▲ 14 pts above national avg 83.1 · Exceptional
Industry payments
$249.59
2 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
Heather Cwach, MD reported a CMS MIPS final score of 97.6/100 - above the 83.1 national average - and filed 1,342 Medicare Part D claims in 2023.
- 97.6/100
- MIPS score · +14 vs avg
- 1K
- 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.
Heather Cwach, MD's MIPS score vs every scored U.S. clinician
CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final score, 2023, the federal quality measure
98 Top 15% higher than 85% of 477,587 scored providers
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more scored providers. 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 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) · 2023
Where Heather Cwach, MD sits
This provider among neurology physician peers
Across the 5,437 neurology physician providers who report both Medicare Part D prescribing and a MIPS quality score, Heather Cwach, MD writes more Part D claims than 57% of them and scores higher on MIPS quality than 85% - placing this provider in the high-volume, high-quality quadrant. Volume reflects patient-panel size and specialty, not quality; the two axes are independent.
Part D claim volume vs MIPS quality, by specialty percentile
Each dot is one neurology physician peer from a representative sample of 60; the gold marker is Heather Cwach, MD. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber data and the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, 2023.
✓
Board certification likely (heuristic, not verified)
Heather Cwach, 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).
What does the federal data show about Heather Cwach, MD?
High performer (top quartile)Primary specialty
Neurology Physician
Medicare Part D claims
1,342 3% vs specialty avg
MIPS final score
97.6/100 14.5 pts vs avg
Specialty distribution in South Dakota
How Neurology Physician compares to other specialties among South Dakota providers
Medicare quality performance, MIPS
Heather Cwach, MD's 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Neurology Physician national average
- MIPS Final Score
- 97.6/100
- vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year
MIPS final score (Neurology Physician) - 97.6/100 vs national avg 83.1
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).
Heather Cwach, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Neurology Physician provider holding MD credentials at 2929 5TH STREET, Rapid City, SD, 57701, with a listed phone of (605) 341-3770. NPI 1255481420 was issued on 01/11/2007.
Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 1,342 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 85 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $278K in drug spend, split 9% brand-name and 90% generic by claim count. On the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, this provider earned a Final Score of 97.6/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 86.5), compared with the national average of 83.1.
Neurology Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 19,866 enrolled providers across 54 states and an average of 1,309 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 | 1255481420 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Neurology Physician |
| Credentials | MD |
| Gender | Female |
| NPI Issued | 01/11/2007 |
CMS Quality Score (MIPS)
Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores from CMS, 2023 performance year.
97.5814
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
86.5348
Quality
100
Promoting Interoperability
Reporting: Alternative Payment Model
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 Heather Cwach, MD. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.
Total received
$250
Largest payer
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS 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 · Generic-heavy
Heather Cwach, MD - brand share 9.0%
Neurology Physician average
9% brand-name claims vs 90% generic, on 1,342 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.
1,342
Total Claims
$278K
Total Drug Cost
85
Medicare Beneficiaries
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 1,792
- Total Day Supply
- 51,059
- Brand vs Generic
- 9% brand / 90% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $184K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $93K
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 54.6 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 1.09
- Gender Split
- 56% female / 44% male
- Age Distribution
- <65: 58, 65-74: 21, 75-84: N/A, 85+: N/A
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What Heather Cwach, MD prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Lamotrigine
Lamotrigine
278 claims
- Levetiracetam
Levetiracetam
260 claims
- Topiramate 98
Topiramate
98 claims
- Divalproex Sodium 85
Divalproex Sodium
85 claims
- Lacosamide 81
Lacosamide
81 claims
- Oxcarbazepine 74
Oxcarbazepine
74 claims
- Clonazepam 57
Clonazepam
57 claims
- Zonisamide 43
Zonisamide
43 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Lamotrigine | 278 |
| Levetiracetam | 260 |
| Topiramate | 98 |
| Divalproex Sodium | 85 |
| Lacosamide | 81 |
| Oxcarbazepine | 74 |
| Clonazepam | 57 |
| Zonisamide | 43 |
| Carbamazepine | 38 |
| Carbamazepine Er Carbamazepine | 36 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Neurology Physician Overview
How Heather Cwach, MD fits within the Neurology Physician landscape nationally.
19,866
Neurology Physician Providers in US
54
States with Neurology Physician
1,309
Avg Claims per Provider
Heather Cwach, MD's 1,342 claims are above the specialty average of 1,309.
Nearby Neurology Physician Providers in South Dakota
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in South Dakota, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Cwach.
Dr. William Andrews
MD
Yankton, SD
Dr. Arsalan Anwar
M.D.
Sioux Falls, SD
Dr. Michael Bergan
M.D.
Sioux Falls, SD
Dr. Jeffrey Boyle
MD/PHD
Sioux Falls, SD
Dr. Douglas Brown
MD
Rapid City, SD
Compare Neurology 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 South Dakota medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
- Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Neurology 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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Understanding Medicare Claims Data
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How insurance networks affect your costs
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Explore South Dakota
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Heather Cwach, MD's specialty? ▼
Heather Cwach, MD specializes in Neurology Physician and practices in Rapid City, South Dakota. Credentials: MD.
How much does Heather Cwach, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2023, Heather Cwach, MD wrote 1,342 Medicare Part D claims totaling $278K in drug costs for 85 beneficiaries.
What is Heather Cwach, MD's Medicare quality score? ▼
Heather Cwach, MD has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 97.6/100 (Quality: 86.5). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is Heather Cwach, MD located? ▼
Heather Cwach, MD is located at 2929 5TH STREET, Rapid City, SD, 57701. Phone: (605) 341-3770.
What is Heather Cwach, MD's NPI number? ▼
Heather Cwach, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1255481420, issued on 01/11/2007.
Does Heather Cwach, MD prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs? ▼
Heather Cwach, MD's prescribing is 9% brand-name and 90% generic drugs by claim count, with $184K in brand drug costs.
How many Neurology Physician providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 19,866 Neurology Physician providers across 54 states in the US. The average Neurology Physician provider writes 1,309 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Heather Cwach, MD prescribe most often? ▼
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Heather Cwach, MD's most frequently prescribed drugs include Lamotrigine, Levetiracetam, Topiramate. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Heather Cwach, MD accept Medicare? ▼
Heather Cwach, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 1,342 Part D claims and 85 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Heather Cwach, MD's credentials? ▼
Heather Cwach, MD's NPI is 1255481420 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.
- 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
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.