NPI registry status
Active
2026 NPPES data Ophthalmology Physician NPI 1538147061 MD
Verify on CMS → James Branch, MD
Ophthalmology Physician in Winston-Salem, 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 22,090 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
4K
Medicare Part D claims · 553 beneficiaries · Ophthalmology Physician avg: 1K
Generic prescribing
47%
generic claims · 53% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Industry payments
$126.82
5 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
James Branch, MD filed 3,671 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Ophthalmology Physician in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, prescribing 47% generic.
- 4K
- Part D claims, 2023
- 47%
- generic prescribing
- $126.82
- 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.
James Branch, MD's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber
Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023, across all CMS prescribers nationally
3,671 Top 9% higher than 91% 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)
James Branch, 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 James Branch, MD?
Quality data not reportedPrimary specialty
Ophthalmology Physician
Medicare Part D claims
3,671 159% vs specialty avg
Specialty distribution in North Carolina
How Ophthalmology 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 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).
James Branch, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Ophthalmology Physician provider holding MD credentials at 224 TOWN RUN LN, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, with a listed phone of (336) 723-0748. NPI 1538147061 was issued on 01/05/2006.
Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 3,671 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 553 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $632K in drug spend, split 53% brand-name and 47% generic by claim count.
Ophthalmology Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 22,090 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 | 1538147061 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Ophthalmology Physician |
| Credentials | MD |
| Gender | Male |
| NPI Issued | 01/05/2006 |
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 James Branch, MD. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.
Total received
$127
Largest payer
ABBVIE 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 · Brand-heavy
James Branch, MD - brand share 53.0%
Ophthalmology Physician average
53% brand-name claims vs 47% generic, on 3,671 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.
3,671
Total Claims
$632K
Total Drug Cost
553
Medicare Beneficiaries
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 5,733
- Total Day Supply
- 162,055
- Brand vs Generic
- 53% brand / 47% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $535K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $97K
- Antibiotic Claims
- 22
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 73.1 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 1.63
- Gender Split
- 66% female / 34% male
- Age Distribution
- <65: 90, 65-74: 219, 75-84: 171, 85+: 73
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What James Branch, MD prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Latanoprost
Latanoprost
647 claims
- Fluorometholone
Fluorometholone
617 claims
- Timolol Maleate
Timolol Maleate
264 claims
- Dorzolamide-Timolol 200
Dorzolamide-Timolol
200 claims
- Ketorolac Trometha… 187
Ketorolac Tromethamine
187 claims
- Combigan 181
Combigan
181 claims
- Neomycin-Polymyxin… 161
Neomycin-Polymyxin-Dexameth
161 claims
- Restasis 149
Restasis
149 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Latanoprost | 647 |
| Fluorometholone | 617 |
| Timolol Maleate | 264 |
| Dorzolamide-Timolol Dorzolamide Hcl/Timolol Maleat | 200 |
| Ketorolac Tromethamine | 187 |
| Combigan Brimonidine Tartrate/Timolol | 181 |
| Neomycin-Polymyxin-Dexameth Neomycin/Polymyxin B/Dexametha | 161 |
| Restasis Cyclosporine | 149 |
| Prednisolone Acetate | 145 |
| Rhopressa Netarsudil Mesylate | 131 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Ophthalmology Physician Overview
How James Branch, MD fits within the Ophthalmology Physician landscape nationally.
22,090
Ophthalmology Physician Providers in US
56
States with Ophthalmology Physician
1,420
Avg Claims per Provider
James Branch, MD's 3,671 claims are above the specialty average of 1,420.
Nearby Ophthalmology Physician Providers in North Carolina
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in North Carolina, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Branch.
Dr. Brian Adair
M.D.
Hickory, NC
Dr. Lindsay Adam
M.D.
Raleigh, NC
Modupe Adetunji
Durham, NC
Dr. Richard Akers
M.D.
Gastonia, NC
Dr. Richard Akers
M.D.
Morganton, NC
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 North Carolina 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.
Healthcare Guides
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Medical Specialties Explained
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Understanding Medicare Claims Data
What prescribing data reveals about a provider
In-Network vs Out-of-Network
How insurance networks affect your costs
Telehealth Guide
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Explore North Carolina
Frequently Asked Questions
What is James Branch, MD's specialty? ▼
James Branch, MD specializes in Ophthalmology Physician and practices in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Credentials: MD.
How much does James Branch, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2023, James Branch, MD wrote 3,671 Medicare Part D claims totaling $632K in drug costs for 553 beneficiaries.
Where is James Branch, MD located? ▼
James Branch, MD is located at 224 TOWN RUN LN, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101. Phone: (336) 723-0748.
What is James Branch, MD's NPI number? ▼
James Branch, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1538147061, issued on 01/05/2006.
Does James Branch, MD prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs? ▼
James Branch, MD's prescribing is 53% brand-name and 47% generic drugs by claim count, with $535K in brand drug costs.
How many Ophthalmology Physician providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 22,090 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 James Branch, MD prescribe most often? ▼
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, James Branch, MD's most frequently prescribed drugs include Latanoprost, Fluorometholone, Timolol Maleate. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does James Branch, MD accept Medicare? ▼
James Branch, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 3,671 Part D claims and 553 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify James Branch, MD's credentials? ▼
James Branch, MD's NPI is 1538147061 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.