2026 NPPES data Otolaryngology Physician NPI 1659729796 M.D.
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James Cowthran, M.D.

Otolaryngology Physician in San Antonio, Texas. This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 10,895 in Otolaryngology 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
19
Medicare Part D claims · 12 beneficiaries · Otolaryngology Physician avg: 509
Generic prescribing
0%
generic claims · 74% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
MIPS score
100/100
▲ 17 pts above national avg 83.1 · Exceptional
Industry payments
$144.04
2 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.

What the federal data shows

James Cowthran, M.D. reported a CMS MIPS final score of 100/100 - above the 83.1 national average - and filed 19 Medicare Part D claims in 2023.

100/100
MIPS score · +17 vs avg
19
Part D claims, 2023
0%
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.

James Cowthran, M.D.'s MIPS score vs every scored U.S. clinician

CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final score, 2023, the federal quality measure

100 Top 7% higher than 93% of 477,587 scored providers

0–10: 8,684 scored providers (2%). Below this entry. 10–20: 3,008 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 20–30: 3,069 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 30–40: 2,746 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 40–50: 2,928 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 50–60: 5,882 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 60–70: 13,906 scored providers (3%). Below this entry. 70–80: 118,074 scored providers (25%). Below this entry. 80–90: 129,887 scored providers (27%). Below this entry. 90+: 189,403 scored providers (40%). This entry sits in this band. This provider 0 100 every MIPS-scored clinician, bucketed by value

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 James Cowthran, M.D. sits

This provider among otolaryngology physician peers

Across the 3,669 otolaryngology physician providers who report both Medicare Part D prescribing and a MIPS quality score, James Cowthran, M.D. writes more Part D claims than 2% of them and scores higher on MIPS quality than 95% - placing this provider in the lower-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

Lower volume · High qualityHigh volume · High qualityLower volume · Lower qualityHigh volume · Lower quality0255075100024.949.974.899.8Part D claim volume, percentile in specialtyMIPS quality, percentilePart D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 85 · MIPS quality, percentile: 92Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 15 · MIPS quality, percentile: 53Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 90 · MIPS quality, percentile: 82Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 25 · MIPS quality, percentile: 92Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 83 · MIPS quality, percentile: 28Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 58 · MIPS quality, percentile: 68Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 30 · MIPS quality, percentile: 20Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 97 · MIPS quality, percentile: 90Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 32 · MIPS quality, percentile: 0Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 45 · MIPS quality, percentile: 60Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 48 · MIPS quality, percentile: 27Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 18 · MIPS quality, percentile: 72Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 27 · MIPS quality, percentile: 0Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 67 · MIPS quality, percentile: 77Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 17 · MIPS quality, percentile: 88Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 12 · MIPS quality, percentile: 92Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 43 · MIPS quality, percentile: 28Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 35 · MIPS quality, percentile: 67Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 52 · MIPS quality, percentile: 43Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 3 · MIPS quality, percentile: 15Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 35 · MIPS quality, percentile: 0Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 53 · MIPS quality, percentile: 28Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 8 · MIPS quality, percentile: 92Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 98 · MIPS quality, percentile: 25Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 42 · MIPS quality, percentile: 73Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 50 · MIPS quality, percentile: 12Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 72 · MIPS quality, percentile: 28Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 0 · MIPS quality, percentile: 62Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 68 · MIPS quality, percentile: 85Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 63 · MIPS quality, percentile: 17Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 28 · MIPS quality, percentile: 75Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 65 · MIPS quality, percentile: 50Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 80 · MIPS quality, percentile: 0Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 93 · MIPS quality, percentile: 28Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 82 · MIPS quality, percentile: 28Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 38 · MIPS quality, percentile: 85Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 60 · MIPS quality, percentile: 80Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 47 · MIPS quality, percentile: 83Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 23 · MIPS quality, percentile: 55Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 20 · MIPS quality, percentile: 0Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 10 · MIPS quality, percentile: 18Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 75 · MIPS quality, percentile: 48Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 88 · MIPS quality, percentile: 47Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 55 · MIPS quality, percentile: 28Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 5 · MIPS quality, percentile: 58Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 87 · MIPS quality, percentile: 92Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 13 · MIPS quality, percentile: 23Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 62 · MIPS quality, percentile: 13Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 22 · MIPS quality, percentile: 63Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 57 · MIPS quality, percentile: 52Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 40 · MIPS quality, percentile: 55Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 33 · MIPS quality, percentile: 28Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 92 · MIPS quality, percentile: 65Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 95 · MIPS quality, percentile: 70Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 78 · MIPS quality, percentile: 45Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 70 · MIPS quality, percentile: 0Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 100 · MIPS quality, percentile: 0Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 7 · MIPS quality, percentile: 22Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 77 · MIPS quality, percentile: 78Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 73 · MIPS quality, percentile: 42James Cowthran, M.D.-Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 2 · MIPS quality, percentile: 95
Part D claim volume vs MIPS quality, by specialty percentile

Each dot is one otolaryngology physician peer from a representative sample of 60; the gold marker is James Cowthran, M.D.. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber data and the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, 2023.

Board certification likely (heuristic, not verified)

James Cowthran, M.D. practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + MIPS quality reporting + 2 hospital affiliations - 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 James Cowthran, M.D.?

High performer (top quartile)

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 05/31/2016

NPI 1659729796

Primary specialty

Otolaryngology Physician

Mid-sized

10,895 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

19 96% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 509

MIPS final score

100/100 16.9 pts vs avg

Exceptional band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in Texas

How Otolaryngology Physician compares to other specialties among Texas providers

Texas providers
Behavior Technician - 5.6%Behavior Technician5.6%Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program - 5.1%Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program5.1%Family Nurse Practitioner - 4.5%Family Nurse Practitioner4.5%Professional Counselor - 4.4%Professional Counselor4.4%Pharmacist - 4.4%Pharmacist4.4%Speech-Language Pathologist - 3.9%Speech-Language Pathologist3.9%Otolaryngology Physician - 0.2%Otolaryngology Physician0.2%
Largest specialties in Texas (% of in-state providers)

Medicare quality performance, MIPS

James Cowthran, M.D.'s 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Otolaryngology Physician national average

High performer (top quartile)
MIPS Final Score
100/100
vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year

MIPS final score (Otolaryngology Physician) - 100/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%99%
MIPS final score (Otolaryngology Physician) - 100/100 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).

James Cowthran, M.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Otolaryngology Physician provider holding M.D. credentials at 8300 FLOYD CURL DR, San Antonio, TX, 78229, with a listed phone of (210) 450-0700. NPI 1659729796 was issued on 05/31/2016. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what Cowthran 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 19 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 12 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $19K in drug spend, split 74% brand-name and 0% 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. On the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, this provider earned a Final Score of 100/100 for the 2023 performance year, compared with the national average of 83.1.

Otolaryngology Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 10,895 enrolled providers across 54 states and an average of 509 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

8300 FLOYD CURL DR
San Antonio, TX 78229

Provider Details

NPI 1659729796
Specialty Otolaryngology Physician
Credentials M.D.
Gender Male
NPI Issued 05/31/2016

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

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

100
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
96
Promoting Interoperability

Reporting: Group practice

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where James Cowthran, M.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.

Skilled Biologics Inc
McKinney, TX
Skilled Facility Health Care Solutions Inc
Dallas, TX

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

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 Cowthran, M.D.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$144

Largest payer

Kerecis Limited

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 - Texas TMB 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 ~77K Texas medical licensees in 2023 - they are NOT specific to James Cowthran, M.D.. To verify James Cowthran, M.D.'s current license status, search the TMB public license lookup directly, or check the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) verification service.

344
Total board actions, Texas 2023
Across 334 cases
4.47
Actions per 1,000 licensees
Texas statewide rate
probation
Most common action type
94 cases

TMB 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 Texas disciplinary trends page. Cross-checked against FSMB U.S. Medical Regulatory Trends.

Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Brand-heavy

James Cowthran, M.D. - brand share 74.0%
Otolaryngology Physician average

74% brand-name claims vs 0% generic, on 19 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.

19
Total Claims
$19K
Total Drug Cost
12
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
19
Total Day Supply
412
Brand vs Generic
74% brand / 0% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$19K

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
80.3 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
2.56

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

Drug Claims
Santyl
Collagenase Clostridium Hist.
13

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

Otolaryngology Physician Overview

How James Cowthran, M.D. fits within the Otolaryngology Physician landscape nationally.

10,895
Otolaryngology Physician Providers in US
54
States with Otolaryngology Physician
509
Avg Claims per Provider

James Cowthran, M.D.'s 19 claims are below the specialty average of 509.

Nearby Otolaryngology Physician Providers in Texas

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

Compare Otolaryngology 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 Texas medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
  • Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Otolaryngology 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is James Cowthran, M.D.'s specialty?
James Cowthran, M.D. specializes in Otolaryngology Physician and practices in San Antonio, Texas. Credentials: M.D..
How much does James Cowthran, M.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, James Cowthran, M.D. wrote 19 Medicare Part D claims totaling $19K in drug costs for 12 beneficiaries.
What is James Cowthran, M.D.'s Medicare quality score?
James Cowthran, M.D. has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 100/100. The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is James Cowthran, M.D. located?
James Cowthran, M.D. is located at 8300 FLOYD CURL DR, San Antonio, TX, 78229. Phone: (210) 450-0700.
What is James Cowthran, M.D.'s NPI number?
James Cowthran, M.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1659729796, issued on 05/31/2016.
Does James Cowthran, M.D. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
James Cowthran, M.D.'s prescribing is 74% brand-name and 0% generic drugs by claim count, with $19K in brand drug costs.
How many Otolaryngology Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 10,895 Otolaryngology Physician providers across 54 states in the US. The average Otolaryngology Physician provider writes 509 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does James Cowthran, M.D. prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, James Cowthran, M.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Santyl. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does James Cowthran, M.D. accept Medicare?
James Cowthran, M.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 19 Part D claims and 12 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify James Cowthran, M.D.'s credentials?
James Cowthran, M.D.'s NPI is 1659729796 with credentials M.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.
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.