2026 NPPES data Specialist NPI 1730160177
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JOHN BLANKENSHIP

Specialist in ATHENS, Georgia. CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System profile including specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare prescribing data when reported.

Federal data — no proprietary rating. PlainDoctor publishes the actual CMS NPPES and Medicare records — NPI registration, specialty, practice location, and prescribing data — without a composite score or editorial opinion on top. Every field traces to a federal source.
Prescribing volume
7K
Medicare Part D claims · 2K beneficiaries · Specialist avg: 1K
MIPS score
97.1564/100
▲ 14 pts above national avg 83.1 · [object Object]
Industry payments
$2.1K
71 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
What the federal data reveals: JOHN BLANKENSHIP is a Specialist ([object Object]) practicing in ATHENS, Georgia with a Medicare Part D prescribing footprint of 7K claims across 2K beneficiaries . Their CMS MIPS Final Score of 97.1564/100 (national average: 83.1) reflects performance across Quality, Cost, Interoperability, and Improvement Activities . Industry payments of $2.1K across 71 transactions are disclosed under CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act).

What stands out: JOHN BLANKENSHIP reported a CMS MIPS final score of 97.1564 out of 100, above the 83.1 national average, and filed 6,501 Medicare Part D claims in 2023. Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records, with no proprietary rating applied.

JOHN BLANKENSHIP at a glance

High performer (top quartile)

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 11/11/2005

NPI 1730160177

Primary specialty

Specialist

High-volume

69,658 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

6,501 341% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 1,474

MIPS final score

97.1564/100 14.05640000000001% pts

Exceptional band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in Georgia

How Specialist compares to other specialties among Georgia providers

Georgia providers

Specialist share within Georgia

1. Specialist42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Specialist share within Georgia

Medicare quality performance — MIPS

JOHN BLANKENSHIP's 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Specialist national average

High performer (top quartile)
MIPS Final Score
97.1564/100
vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year

MIPS final score (Specialist) — 97.1564/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%97.2%
MIPS final score (Specialist) — 97.1564/100 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).

JOHN BLANKENSHIP is a Specialist provider practicing in ATHENS, Georgia, according to the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). NPI: 1730160177. This profile includes practice location, specialty classification, and organizational affiliations from the CMS provider registry. Provider information is self-reported to CMS and updated monthly.

JOHN BLANKENSHIP appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Specialist provider at 195 KING AVE., ATHENS, GA, 30606, with a listed phone of (706) 543-6261. NPI 1730160177 was issued on 11/11/2005. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what BLANKENSHIP 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 6,501 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 1,588 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $2.3 million in drug spend, with an opioid prescribing rate of 5.7%. 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 97.1564/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 95.6789, Cost 96.283), compared with the national average of 83.1.

Specialist is a high-volume specialty nationwide, with 69,658 enrolled providers across 55 states and an average of 1,474 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

195 KING AVE.
ATHENS, GA 30606

Provider Details

NPI 1730160177
Specialty Specialist
Gender Male
NPI Issued 11/11/2005

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

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

97.1564
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
95.6789
Quality
96.283
Cost

Reporting: Group practice

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where JOHN BLANKENSHIP 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.

UROLOGY GROUP OF ATHENS, P.C.
ATHENS, GA

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 JOHN BLANKENSHIP. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$2.1K

Largest payer

Axonics, 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.

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.

6,501
Total Claims
$2.3M
Total Drug Cost
1,588
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
12,133
Total Day Supply
329,006
Generic Drug Cost
$156K
Opioid Claims
371 (5.7% rate)
Antibiotic Claims
1,057

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
74.2 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.42
Gender Split
27% female / 73% male
Age Distribution
<65: 138, 65-74: 658, 75-84: 615, 85+: 177

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

Drug Claims
Tamsulosin Hcl
872
Finasteride
808
Alfuzosin Hcl Er
Alfuzosin Hcl
706
Myrbetriq
Mirabegron
437
Oxybutynin Chloride Er
Oxybutynin Chloride
406
Ciprofloxacin Hcl
377
Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen
298
Testosterone Cypionate
274
Cephalexin
201
Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim
Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim
157

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

Specialist Overview

How JOHN BLANKENSHIP fits within the Specialist landscape nationally.

69,658
Specialist Providers in US
55
States with Specialist
1,474
Avg Claims per Provider

JOHN BLANKENSHIP's 6,501 claims are above the specialty average of 1,474.

Nearby Specialist Providers in Georgia

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

Compare Specialist nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is JOHN BLANKENSHIP's specialty?
JOHN BLANKENSHIP specializes in Specialist and practices in ATHENS, Georgia.
How much does JOHN BLANKENSHIP prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, JOHN BLANKENSHIP wrote 6,501 Medicare Part D claims totaling $2.3M in drug costs for 1,588 beneficiaries.
What is JOHN BLANKENSHIP's Medicare quality score?
JOHN BLANKENSHIP has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 97.1564/100 (Quality: 95.6789, Cost: 96.283). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is JOHN BLANKENSHIP located?
JOHN BLANKENSHIP is located at 195 KING AVE., ATHENS, GA, 30606. Phone: (706) 543-6261.
What is JOHN BLANKENSHIP's NPI number?
JOHN BLANKENSHIP's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1730160177, issued on 11/11/2005.
Does JOHN BLANKENSHIP prescribe opioids?
Yes, JOHN BLANKENSHIP had 371 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 5.7%.
How many Specialist providers are there in the US?
There are 69,658 Specialist providers across 55 states in the US. The average Specialist provider writes 1,474 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does JOHN BLANKENSHIP prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, JOHN BLANKENSHIP's most frequently prescribed drugs include Tamsulosin Hcl, Finasteride, Alfuzosin Hcl Er. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does JOHN BLANKENSHIP accept Medicare?
JOHN BLANKENSHIP appears in CMS Medicare data with 6,501 Part D claims and 1,588 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify JOHN BLANKENSHIP's credentials?
JOHN BLANKENSHIP's NPI is 1730160177. 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