NPI registry status
Active
2026 NPPES data Surgical Physician Assistant NPI 1437209210 PA-C
Verify on CMS → James Houston, PA-C
Surgical Physician Assistant 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 16,179 in Surgical Physician Assistant, 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
3K
Medicare Part D claims · 375 beneficiaries · Surgical Physician Assistant avg: 316
Generic prescribing
98%
generic claims · 2% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
MIPS score
42.4/100
▼ 41 pts below national avg 83.1 · Below average
Industry payments
$535.52
29 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 Houston, PA-C reported a CMS MIPS final score of 42.4/100 - below the 83.1 national average - and filed 2,985 Medicare Part D claims in 2023.
- 42.4/100
- MIPS score · -41 vs avg
- 3K
- Part D claims, 2023
- 98%
- generic prescribing
- $535.52
- 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 Houston, PA-C's MIPS score vs every scored U.S. clinician
CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final score, 2023, the federal quality measure
42 4th percentile higher than 4% 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 James Houston, PA-C sits
This provider among surgical physician assistant peers
Across the 3,708 surgical physician assistant providers who report both Medicare Part D prescribing and a MIPS quality score, James Houston, PA-C writes more Part D claims than 99% of them and scores higher on MIPS quality than 1% - placing this provider in the high-volume, lower-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 surgical physician assistant peer from a representative sample of 60; the gold marker is James Houston, PA-C. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber data and the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, 2023.
What does the federal data show about James Houston, PA-C?
Below national averagePrimary specialty
Surgical Physician Assistant
Medicare Part D claims
2,985 9× vs specialty avg
MIPS final score
42.4/100 40.7 pts vs avg
Specialty distribution in Texas
How Surgical Physician Assistant compares to other specialties among Texas providers
Medicare quality performance, MIPS
James Houston, PA-C's 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Surgical Physician Assistant national average
- MIPS Final Score
- 42.4/100
- vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year
MIPS final score (Surgical Physician Assistant) - 42.4/100 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).
James Houston, PA-C appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Surgical Physician Assistant provider holding PA-C credentials at 525 OAK CENTRE DR, San Antonio, TX, 78258, with a listed phone of (210) 695-2757. NPI 1437209210 was issued on 01/12/2007.
Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 2,985 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 375 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $109K in drug spend, split 2% brand-name and 98% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 31.9%. On the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, this provider earned a Final Score of 42.4/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 60.6, Cost 30.8), compared with the national average of 83.1.
Surgical Physician Assistant is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 16,179 enrolled providers across 54 states and an average of 316 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 | 1437209210 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Surgical Physician Assistant |
| Credentials | PA-C |
| Gender | Male |
| NPI Issued | 01/12/2007 |
CMS Quality Score (MIPS)
Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores from CMS, 2023 performance year.
42.4299
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
60.6499
Quality
30.783
Cost
0
Promoting Interoperability
Reporting: Group practice
Hospital and facility affiliations
Facilities where James Houston, PA-C 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.
Spine Care And Pain Management OF San Antonio LLC
San Antonio, 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 Houston, PA-C. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.
Total received
$536
Largest payer
Nevro Corp.
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 Houston, PA-C. To verify James Houston, PA-C'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 · Generic-heavy
James Houston, PA-C - brand share 2.0%
Surgical Physician Assistant average
2% brand-name claims vs 98% generic, on 2,985 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.
2,985
Total Claims
$109K
Total Drug Cost
375
Medicare Beneficiaries
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 3,087
- Total Day Supply
- 84,606
- Brand vs Generic
- 2% brand / 98% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $44K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $66K
- Opioid Claims
- 953 (31.9% rate)
- Antibiotic Claims
- 15
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 65.6 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 2.12
- Gender Split
- 60% female / 40% male
- Age Distribution
- <65: 146, 65-74: 162, 75-84: 55, 85+: 12
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What James Houston, PA-C prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Acetaminophen-Code…
Acetaminophen-Codeine
547 claims
- Tizanidine Hcl
Tizanidine Hcl
479 claims
- Gabapentin
Gabapentin
470 claims
- Tramadol Hcl
Tramadol Hcl
301 claims
- Pregabalin
Pregabalin
227 claims
- Meloxicam 106
Meloxicam
106 claims
- Diclofenac Sodium 104
Diclofenac Sodium
104 claims
- Cyclobenzaprine Hcl 84
Cyclobenzaprine Hcl
84 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Acetaminophen-Codeine Acetaminophen With Codeine | 547 |
| Tizanidine Hcl | 479 |
| Gabapentin | 470 |
| Tramadol Hcl | 301 |
| Pregabalin | 227 |
| Meloxicam | 106 |
| Diclofenac Sodium | 104 |
| Cyclobenzaprine Hcl | 84 |
| Diazepam | 82 |
| Methylprednisolone | 79 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Surgical Physician Assistant Overview
How James Houston, PA-C fits within the Surgical Physician Assistant landscape nationally.
16,179
Surgical Physician Assistant Providers in US
54
States with Surgical Physician Assistant
316
Avg Claims per Provider
James Houston, PA-C's 2,985 claims are above the specialty average of 316.
Nearby Surgical Physician Assistant Providers in Texas
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Texas, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Houston.
Dr. Jose Abdelkalek Karkur
CSA
Cypress, TX
Dr. Ajoey Abraham
PA
Houston, TX
Dr. Carmen Acebo
L.S.A.
Katy, TX
Dr. Mayra Aceves
CST, CSFA
Corpus Christi, TX
Dr. Lacey Aguero
LSA
Live Oak, TX
Compare Surgical Physician Assistant 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 Surgical Physician Assistant 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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Frequently Asked Questions
What is James Houston, PA-C's specialty? ▼
James Houston, PA-C specializes in Surgical Physician Assistant and practices in San Antonio, Texas. Credentials: PA-C.
How much does James Houston, PA-C prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2023, James Houston, PA-C wrote 2,985 Medicare Part D claims totaling $109K in drug costs for 375 beneficiaries.
What is James Houston, PA-C's Medicare quality score? ▼
James Houston, PA-C has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 42.4/100 (Quality: 60.6, Cost: 30.8). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is James Houston, PA-C located? ▼
James Houston, PA-C is located at 525 OAK CENTRE DR, San Antonio, TX, 78258. Phone: (210) 695-2757.
What is James Houston, PA-C's NPI number? ▼
James Houston, PA-C's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1437209210, issued on 01/12/2007.
Does James Houston, PA-C prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs? ▼
James Houston, PA-C's prescribing is 2% brand-name and 98% generic drugs by claim count, with $44K in brand drug costs.
Does James Houston, PA-C prescribe opioids? ▼
Yes, James Houston, PA-C had 953 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 31.9%.
How many Surgical Physician Assistant providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 16,179 Surgical Physician Assistant providers across 54 states in the US. The average Surgical Physician Assistant provider writes 316 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does James Houston, PA-C prescribe most often? ▼
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, James Houston, PA-C's most frequently prescribed drugs include Acetaminophen-Codeine, Tizanidine Hcl, Gabapentin. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does James Houston, PA-C accept Medicare? ▼
James Houston, PA-C appears in CMS Medicare data with 2,985 Part D claims and 375 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify James Houston, PA-C's credentials? ▼
James Houston, PA-C's NPI is 1437209210 with credentials PA-C. 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.
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.