2026 NPPES data Physician Assistant NPI 1659731347 PAC
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LAUREN BAIRD, PAC

Physician Assistant in HICKORY, North Carolina. 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
652
Medicare Part D claims · 83 beneficiaries · Physician Assistant avg: 790
Generic prescribing
94%
generic claims · 6% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Industry payments
$28.79
2 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
What the federal data reveals: LAUREN BAIRD, PAC is a Physician Assistant ([object Object]) practicing in HICKORY, North Carolina with a Medicare Part D prescribing footprint of 652 claims across 83 beneficiaries — 6% brand-name prescribing . Industry payments of $28.79 across 2 transactions are disclosed under CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act).

What stands out: LAUREN BAIRD, PAC filed 652 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 across HICKORY, North Carolina. Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records, with no proprietary rating applied.

LAUREN BAIRD, PAC at a glance

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 02/24/2016

NPI 1659731347

Primary specialty

Physician Assistant

High-volume

149,975 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

652 17% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 790

Specialty distribution in North Carolina

How Physician Assistant compares to other specialties among North Carolina providers

North Carolina providers

Physician Assistant share within North Carolina

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

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).

LAUREN BAIRD, PAC is a Physician Assistant provider practicing in HICKORY, North Carolina, according to the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). Credentials: PAC. NPI: 1659731347. 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.

LAUREN BAIRD, PAC appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Physician Assistant provider holding PAC credentials at 1940 BRIARWOOD DR STE B, HICKORY, NC, 28602, with a listed phone of (828) 294-1116. NPI 1659731347 was issued on 02/24/2016. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what BAIRD 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 652 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 83 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $49K in drug spend, split 6% brand-name and 94% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 60.7%. 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.

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

1940 BRIARWOOD DR STE B
HICKORY, NC 28602

Provider Details

NPI 1659731347
Specialty Physician Assistant
Credentials PAC
Gender Female
NPI Issued 02/24/2016

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 LAUREN BAIRD, PAC. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$29

Largest payer

Novo Nordisk 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 · Generic-heavy

LAUREN BAIRD, PAC — brand share 6.0%
Specialty average (est.)

6% brand-name claims vs 94% generic, on 652 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.

652
Total Claims
$49K
Total Drug Cost
83
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
772
Total Day Supply
22,057
Brand vs Generic
6% brand / 94% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$29K
Generic Drug Cost
$19K
Opioid Claims
396 (60.7% rate)

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
65.3 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.06
Gender Split
52% female / 48% male
Age Distribution
<65: 30, 65-74: 46, 75-84: N/A, 85+: N/A

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

Drug Claims
Oxycodone-Acetaminophen
Oxycodone Hcl/Acetaminophen
192
Oxycodone Hcl
128
Cyclobenzaprine Hcl
32
Gabapentin
29
Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen
26
Pregabalin
22
Tramadol Hcl
20
Tizanidine Hcl
14
Baclofen
13
Oxycontin
Oxycodone Hcl
11

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

Physician Assistant Overview

How LAUREN BAIRD, PAC fits within the Physician Assistant landscape nationally.

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

LAUREN BAIRD, PAC's 652 claims are below the specialty average of 790.

Nearby Physician Assistant Providers in North Carolina

Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in North Carolina, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as BAIRD.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LAUREN BAIRD, PAC's specialty?
LAUREN BAIRD, PAC specializes in Physician Assistant and practices in HICKORY, North Carolina. Credentials: PAC.
How much does LAUREN BAIRD, PAC prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, LAUREN BAIRD, PAC wrote 652 Medicare Part D claims totaling $49K in drug costs for 83 beneficiaries.
Where is LAUREN BAIRD, PAC located?
LAUREN BAIRD, PAC is located at 1940 BRIARWOOD DR STE B, HICKORY, NC, 28602. Phone: (828) 294-1116.
What is LAUREN BAIRD, PAC's NPI number?
LAUREN BAIRD, PAC's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1659731347, issued on 02/24/2016.
Does LAUREN BAIRD, PAC prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
LAUREN BAIRD, PAC's prescribing is 6% brand-name and 94% generic drugs by claim count, with $29K in brand drug costs.
Does LAUREN BAIRD, PAC prescribe opioids?
Yes, LAUREN BAIRD, PAC had 396 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 60.7%.
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 LAUREN BAIRD, PAC prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, LAUREN BAIRD, PAC's most frequently prescribed drugs include Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Oxycodone Hcl, Cyclobenzaprine Hcl. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does LAUREN BAIRD, PAC accept Medicare?
LAUREN BAIRD, PAC appears in CMS Medicare data with 652 Part D claims and 83 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify LAUREN BAIRD, PAC's credentials?
LAUREN BAIRD, PAC's NPI is 1659731347 with credentials PAC. 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