2026 NPPES data Dermatology Physician NPI 1669430872 M.D.
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KAREN WALKER, M.D.

Dermatology Physician in NORTHPORT, Alabama. 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
1K
Medicare Part D claims · 363 beneficiaries · Dermatology Physician avg: 729
Generic prescribing
89%
generic claims · 11% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
MIPS score
100/100
▲ 17 pts above national avg 83.1 · [object Object]
Industry payments
$1.8K
86 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
What the federal data reveals: KAREN WALKER, M.D. is a Dermatology Physician ([object Object]) practicing in NORTHPORT, Alabama with a Medicare Part D prescribing footprint of 1K claims across 363 beneficiaries — 11% brand-name prescribing . Their CMS MIPS Final Score of 100/100 (national average: 83.1) reflects performance across Quality, Cost, Interoperability, and Improvement Activities . Industry payments of $1.8K across 86 transactions are disclosed under CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act).

What stands out: KAREN WALKER, M.D. reported a CMS MIPS final score of 100 out of 100, above the 83.1 national average, and filed 1,194 Medicare Part D claims in 2023. Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records, with no proprietary rating applied.

Board certification likely (heuristic — not verified)

KAREN WALKER, M.D. practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + MIPS quality reporting + 1 hospital affiliation — signals consistent with board-certified status. For verified board certification, see CertificationMatters.org (the official ABMS public lookup).

KAREN WALKER, M.D. at a glance

High performer (top quartile)

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 05/04/2006

NPI 1669430872

Primary specialty

Dermatology Physician

Mid-sized

14,610 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

1,194 64% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 729

MIPS final score

100/100 16.900000000000006% pts

Exceptional band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in Alabama

How Dermatology Physician compares to other specialties among Alabama providers

Alabama providers

Dermatology Physician share within Alabama

1. Dermatology Physician42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Dermatology Physician share within Alabama

Medicare quality performance — MIPS

KAREN WALKER, M.D.'s 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Dermatology Physician national average

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

MIPS final score (Dermatology Physician) — 100/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%99%
MIPS final score (Dermatology 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).

KAREN WALKER, M.D. is a Dermatology Physician provider practicing in NORTHPORT, Alabama, according to the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). Credentials: M.D.. NPI: 1669430872. 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.

KAREN WALKER, M.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Dermatology Physician provider holding M.D. credentials at 4410 WATERMELON RD, NORTHPORT, AL, 35473, with a listed phone of (205) 345-1520. NPI 1669430872 was issued on 05/04/2006. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what WALKER 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 1,194 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 363 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $360K in drug spend, split 11% brand-name and 89% 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.

Dermatology Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 14,610 enrolled providers across 53 states and an average of 729 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

4410 WATERMELON RD
NORTHPORT, AL 35473

Provider Details

NPI 1669430872
Specialty Dermatology Physician
Credentials M.D.
Gender Female
NPI Issued 05/04/2006

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

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

100
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
100
Promoting Interoperability

Reporting: Individual

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where KAREN WALKER, 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.

ALABAMA DERMATOLOGY ASSOCIATES, PC
NORTHPORT, AL

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 KAREN WALKER, M.D.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$1.8K

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 · Typical

KAREN WALKER, M.D. — brand share 11.0%
Specialty average (est.)

11% brand-name claims vs 89% generic, on 1,194 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.

1,194
Total Claims
$360K
Total Drug Cost
363
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
1,542
Total Day Supply
42,044
Brand vs Generic
11% brand / 89% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$300K
Generic Drug Cost
$59K
Antibiotic Claims
62

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
74.8 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
0.93
Gender Split
75% female / 25% male
Age Distribution
<65: 11, 65-74: 177, 75-84: 134, 85+: 41

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

Drug Claims
Fluconazole
124
Clobetasol Propionate
114
Triamcinolone Acetonide
92
Valacyclovir
Valacyclovir Hcl
71
Ketoconazole
62
Betamethasone Dipropionate
48
Spironolactone
48
Desonide
42
Mupirocin
39
Doxycycline Hyclate
37

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

Dermatology Physician Overview

How KAREN WALKER, M.D. fits within the Dermatology Physician landscape nationally.

14,610
Dermatology Physician Providers in US
53
States with Dermatology Physician
729
Avg Claims per Provider

KAREN WALKER, M.D.'s 1,194 claims are above the specialty average of 729.

Nearby Dermatology Physician Providers in Alabama

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

Compare Dermatology Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is KAREN WALKER, M.D.'s specialty?
KAREN WALKER, M.D. specializes in Dermatology Physician and practices in NORTHPORT, Alabama. Credentials: M.D..
How much does KAREN WALKER, M.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, KAREN WALKER, M.D. wrote 1,194 Medicare Part D claims totaling $360K in drug costs for 363 beneficiaries.
What is KAREN WALKER, M.D.'s Medicare quality score?
KAREN WALKER, 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 KAREN WALKER, M.D. located?
KAREN WALKER, M.D. is located at 4410 WATERMELON RD, NORTHPORT, AL, 35473. Phone: (205) 345-1520.
What is KAREN WALKER, M.D.'s NPI number?
KAREN WALKER, M.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1669430872, issued on 05/04/2006.
Does KAREN WALKER, M.D. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
KAREN WALKER, M.D.'s prescribing is 11% brand-name and 89% generic drugs by claim count, with $300K in brand drug costs.
How many Dermatology Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 14,610 Dermatology Physician providers across 53 states in the US. The average Dermatology Physician provider writes 729 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does KAREN WALKER, M.D. prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, KAREN WALKER, M.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Fluconazole, Clobetasol Propionate, Triamcinolone Acetonide. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does KAREN WALKER, M.D. accept Medicare?
KAREN WALKER, M.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 1,194 Part D claims and 363 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify KAREN WALKER, M.D.'s credentials?
KAREN WALKER, M.D.'s NPI is 1669430872 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