JOEL NELSON, D.O.
Ophthalmology Physician in SAINT CLOUD, Minnesota. CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System profile including specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare prescribing data when reported.
What the federal data shows
JOEL NELSON, D.O. filed 2,716 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Ophthalmology Physician in SAINT CLOUD, Minnesota, prescribing 74% generic.
- 3K
- Part D claims, 2023
- 74%
- 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.
JOEL NELSON, D.O.'s Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber
Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023 — across all CMS prescribers nationally
2,716 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
JOEL NELSON, D.O. practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + 1 hospital affiliation — 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 JOEL NELSON, D.O.?
Quality data not reportedPrimary specialty
Medicare Part D claims
Specialty distribution in Minnesota
How Ophthalmology Physician compares to other specialties among Minnesota providers
Ophthalmology Physician share within Minnesota
Ophthalmology Physician is one of the more visible NUCC categories in Minnesota
Each bar reflects the share of in-state providers whose primary NUCC taxonomy matches the specialty. Long tail of ~690 NUCC codes folded into "Other" to keep the comparison legible.
Specialty board-certification context
Estimated specialty board-certified rate — Ophthalmology Physician (ABMS / AOA reference)
- Est. board-certified rate
- 78%
- Ophthalmology Physician ABMS/AOA estimate
Est. board-certified rate (Ophthalmology Physician) — ABMS / AOA estimate
Verify credentials
- Verify via ABMS free public lookup
- Verify via AOA osteopathic boards
- Specialty volume Ophthalmology Physician US NPIs
Specialty board-certified rate — Ophthalmology Physician estimate
Board certification through an ABMS or AOA member board signals voluntary post-licensure examination plus Maintenance of Certification cycles. CMS does not publish a per-provider board-certification field; the figure shown is the specialty-level estimated rate from ABMS / AOA reference data.
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).
JOEL NELSON, D.O. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Ophthalmology Physician provider holding D.O. credentials at 2055 15TH ST N, SAINT CLOUD, MN, 56303, with a listed phone of (320) 251-1432. NPI 1043650575 was issued on 06/28/2013. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what NELSON 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 2,716 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 533 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $229K in drug spend, split 26% brand-name and 74% 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.
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 | 1043650575 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Ophthalmology Physician |
| Credentials | D.O. |
| Gender | Male |
| NPI Issued | 06/28/2013 |
Verify this provider's license
PlainDoctor pulls this profile from the CMS NPPES public registry. Confirm JOEL NELSON, D.O.'s current license status, disciplinary history, and board certifications with the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice in Minnesota before relying on this page for a clinical or care decision.
How we sourced this profile
Hospital and facility affiliations
Facilities where JOEL NELSON, D.O. 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.
Affiliations sourced from CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File; hospital ratings from CMS Hospital General Information dataset (cross-referenced by facility name + state).
Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Above average
26% brand-name claims vs 74% generic, on 2,716 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.
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 3,999
- Total Day Supply
- 107,328
- Brand vs Generic
- 26% brand / 74% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $175K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $54K
- Antibiotic Claims
- 26
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 75.1 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 1.09
- Gender Split
- 63% female / 37% male
- Age Distribution
- <65: 37, 65-74: 229, 75-84: 174, 85+: 93
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What JOEL NELSON, D.O. prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Latanoprost
Latanoprost
682 claims
- Prednisolone Acetate
Prednisolone Acetate
369 claims
- Ofloxacin
Ofloxacin
368 claims
- Ketorolac Trometha…
Ketorolac Tromethamine
337 claims
- Dorzolamide-Timolol 244
Dorzolamide-Timolol
244 claims
- Timolol Maleate 231
Timolol Maleate
231 claims
- Brimonidine Tartrate 133
Brimonidine Tartrate
133 claims
- Valacyclovir 46
Valacyclovir
46 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Latanoprost | 682 |
| Prednisolone Acetate | 369 |
| Ofloxacin | 368 |
| Ketorolac Tromethamine | 337 |
| Dorzolamide-Timolol Dorzolamide Hcl/Timolol Maleat | 244 |
| Timolol Maleate | 231 |
| Brimonidine Tartrate | 133 |
| Valacyclovir Valacyclovir Hcl | 46 |
| Erythromycin Erythromycin Base | 33 |
| Famciclovir | 27 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Ophthalmology Physician Overview
How JOEL NELSON, D.O. fits within the Ophthalmology Physician landscape nationally.
JOEL NELSON, D.O.'s 2,716 claims are above the specialty average of 1,420.
Nearby Ophthalmology Physician Providers in Minnesota
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Minnesota, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as NELSON.
Compare Ophthalmology Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →
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Frequently Asked Questions
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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.
- 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