2026 NPPES data Physician Assistant NPI 1356768568 PA-C
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LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C

Physician Assistant in HARLINGEN, Texas. 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
573
Medicare Part D claims · 178 beneficiaries · Physician Assistant avg: 790

What the federal data shows

LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C filed 573 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Physician Assistant in HARLINGEN, Texas.

573
Part D claims, 2023

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.

LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber

Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023 — across all CMS prescribers nationally

573 Top 34% higher than 66% of 1,370,886 prescribers

0–200: 670,926 prescribers (49%). Below this entry. 200–400: 182,923 prescribers (13%). Below this entry. 400–600: 90,619 prescribers (7%). This entry sits in this band. 600–800: 56,224 prescribers (4%). Above this entry. 800–1,000: 40,919 prescribers (3%). Above this entry. 1,000–1,200: 31,827 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,400: 26,224 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,400–1,600: 21,710 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,600–1,800: 19,072 prescribers (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–2,000: 16,451 prescribers (1%). Above this entry. 2,000–2,200: 213,991 prescribers (16%). Above this entry. This provider 0 2K+ every Part D prescriber (claims/yr), bucketed by value

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

What does the federal data show about LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C?

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 03/25/2014

NPI 1356768568

Primary specialty

Physician Assistant

High-volume

149,975 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

573 27% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 790

Specialty distribution in Texas

How Physician Assistant compares to other specialties among Texas providers

Texas providers

Physician Assistant share within Texas

1. Physician Assistant42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Physician Assistant share within Texas

Specialty board-certification context

Estimated specialty board-certified rate — Physician Assistant (ABMS / AOA reference)

Quality data not reported
Est. board-certified rate
78%
Physician Assistant ABMS/AOA estimate

Est. board-certified rate (Physician Assistant) — ABMS / AOA estimate

0%100%78%
Est. board-certified rate (Physician Assistant) — ABMS / AOA estimate

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).

LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Physician Assistant provider holding PA-C credentials at 2101 PEASE ST, HARLINGEN, TX, 78550, with a listed phone of (956) 389-6565. NPI 1356768568 was issued on 03/25/2014. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what CORTEZ 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 573 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 178 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $33K in drug spend. 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.

Physician Assistant is a high-volume specialty nationwide, with 149,975 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 790 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

2101 PEASE ST
HARLINGEN, TX 78550

Provider Details

NPI 1356768568
Specialty Physician Assistant
Credentials PA-C
Gender Female
NPI Issued 03/25/2014

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where LAURA CORTEZ, 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.

BENCHMARK INPATIENT SERVICES PLLC
BROWNSVILLE, TX
BHS PHYSICIANS NETWORK, INC
HARLINGEN, 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).

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 LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C. To verify LAURA CORTEZ, 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.

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

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

573
Total Claims
$33K
Total Drug Cost
178
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
610
Total Day Supply
13,343
Generic Drug Cost
$11K
Antibiotic Claims
77

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
74.3 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
3.39
Gender Split
54% female / 46% male
Age Distribution
<65: 22, 65-74: 66, 75-84: 58, 85+: 32

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

What LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C prescribes most

Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023

claims
Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File As of 2023
Drug Claims
Pantoprazole Sodium
58
Hydralazine Hcl
26
Lisinopril
20
Metoprolol Tartrate
20
Atorvastatin Calcium
19
Torsemide
19
Levofloxacin
17
Metoprolol Succinate
17
Metoclopramide Hcl
15
Eliquis
Apixaban
14

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

Physician Assistant Overview

How LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C fits within the Physician Assistant landscape nationally.

149,975
Physician Assistant Providers in US
56
States with Physician Assistant
790
Avg Claims per Provider

LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C's 573 claims are below the specialty average of 790.

Nearby Physician Assistant Providers in Texas

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C's specialty?
LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C specializes in Physician Assistant and practices in HARLINGEN, Texas. Credentials: PA-C.
How much does LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C wrote 573 Medicare Part D claims totaling $33K in drug costs for 178 beneficiaries.
Where is LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C located?
LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C is located at 2101 PEASE ST, HARLINGEN, TX, 78550. Phone: (956) 389-6565.
What is LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C's NPI number?
LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1356768568, issued on 03/25/2014.
How many Physician Assistant providers are there in the US?
There are 149,975 Physician Assistant providers across 56 states in the US. The average Physician Assistant provider writes 790 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C's most frequently prescribed drugs include Pantoprazole Sodium, Hydralazine Hcl, Lisinopril. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C accept Medicare?
LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C appears in CMS Medicare data with 573 Part D claims and 178 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C's credentials?
LAURA CORTEZ, PA-C's NPI is 1356768568 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

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