2026 NPPES data Family Medicine Physician NPI 1598724841 MD
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Martha Hester, MD

Family Medicine Physician in Columbia, South Carolina. This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 147,640 in Family Medicine Physician, and covers specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare Part D prescribing data when reported. According to CMS, every field reflects the provider's official federal registration, see our methodology.

Federal data, no proprietary rating. We show these CMS records as-is - no composite score, no star rating, no editorial opinion layered on top.
Prescribing volume
11K
Medicare Part D claims · 821 beneficiaries · Family Medicine Physician avg: 3K
Generic prescribing
84%
generic claims · 15% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
MIPS score
99.3/100
▲ 16 pts above national avg 83.1 · Exceptional
Industry payments
$20.81
1 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.

What the federal data shows

Martha Hester, MD reported a CMS MIPS final score of 99.3/100 - above the 83.1 national average - and filed 10,890 Medicare Part D claims in 2023.

99.3/100
MIPS score · +16 vs avg
11K
Part D claims, 2023
84%
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.

Martha Hester, MD's MIPS score vs every scored U.S. clinician

CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final score, 2023, the federal quality measure

99 Top 9% higher than 91% of 477,587 scored providers

0–10: 8,684 scored providers (2%). Below this entry. 10–20: 3,008 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 20–30: 3,069 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 30–40: 2,746 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 40–50: 2,928 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 50–60: 5,882 scored providers (1%). Below this entry. 60–70: 13,906 scored providers (3%). Below this entry. 70–80: 118,074 scored providers (25%). Below this entry. 80–90: 129,887 scored providers (27%). Below this entry. 90+: 189,403 scored providers (40%). This entry sits in this band. This provider 0 100 every MIPS-scored clinician, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more scored providers. 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 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) · 2023

Where Martha Hester, MD sits

This provider among family medicine physician peers

Across the 22,040 family medicine physician providers who report both Medicare Part D prescribing and a MIPS quality score, Martha Hester, MD writes more Part D claims than 90% of them and scores higher on MIPS quality than 94% - placing this provider in the high-volume, high-quality quadrant. Volume reflects patient-panel size and specialty, not quality; the two axes are independent.

Part D claim volume vs MIPS quality, by specialty percentile

Lower volume · High qualityHigh volume · High qualityLower volume · Lower qualityHigh volume · Lower quality02550751000255075100Part D claim volume, percentile in specialtyMIPS quality, percentilePart D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 90 · MIPS quality, percentile: 80Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 67 · MIPS quality, percentile: 45Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 17 · MIPS quality, percentile: 67Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 63 · MIPS quality, percentile: 58Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 43 · MIPS quality, percentile: 75Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 22 · MIPS quality, percentile: 35Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 3 · MIPS quality, percentile: 78Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 27 · MIPS quality, percentile: 88Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 5 · MIPS quality, percentile: 37Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 7 · MIPS quality, percentile: 90Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 68 · MIPS quality, percentile: 62Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 62 · MIPS quality, percentile: 57Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 32 · MIPS quality, percentile: 40Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 20 · MIPS quality, percentile: 22Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 70 · MIPS quality, percentile: 15Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 12 · MIPS quality, percentile: 98Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 60 · MIPS quality, percentile: 20Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 37 · MIPS quality, percentile: 13Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 45 · MIPS quality, percentile: 33Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 18 · MIPS quality, percentile: 42Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 75 · MIPS quality, percentile: 10Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 38 · MIPS quality, percentile: 12Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 23 · MIPS quality, percentile: 70Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 2 · MIPS quality, percentile: 17Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 10 · MIPS quality, percentile: 2Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 53 · MIPS quality, percentile: 8Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 80 · MIPS quality, percentile: 72Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 85 · MIPS quality, percentile: 85Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 87 · MIPS quality, percentile: 3Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 33 · MIPS quality, percentile: 90Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 13 · MIPS quality, percentile: 38Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 82 · MIPS quality, percentile: 25Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 83 · MIPS quality, percentile: 95Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 98 · MIPS quality, percentile: 0Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 27 · MIPS quality, percentile: 48Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 48 · MIPS quality, percentile: 77Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 50 · MIPS quality, percentile: 5Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 92 · MIPS quality, percentile: 60Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 88 · MIPS quality, percentile: 27Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 55 · MIPS quality, percentile: 30Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 97 · MIPS quality, percentile: 23Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 65 · MIPS quality, percentile: 48Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 8 · MIPS quality, percentile: 17Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 73 · MIPS quality, percentile: 47Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 42 · MIPS quality, percentile: 32Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 25 · MIPS quality, percentile: 7Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 15 · MIPS quality, percentile: 28Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 47 · MIPS quality, percentile: 43Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 30 · MIPS quality, percentile: 80Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 100 · MIPS quality, percentile: 98Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 40 · MIPS quality, percentile: 67Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 0 · MIPS quality, percentile: 72Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 78 · MIPS quality, percentile: 48Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 52 · MIPS quality, percentile: 53Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 58 · MIPS quality, percentile: 83Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 57 · MIPS quality, percentile: 62Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 72 · MIPS quality, percentile: 85Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 77 · MIPS quality, percentile: 55Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 35 · MIPS quality, percentile: 65Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 93 · MIPS quality, percentile: 90Martha Hester, MD-Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 90 · MIPS quality, percentile: 94
Part D claim volume vs MIPS quality, by specialty percentile

Each dot is one family medicine physician peer from a representative sample of 60; the gold marker is Martha Hester, MD. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber data and the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, 2023.

Board certification likely (heuristic, not verified)

Martha Hester, MD 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).

What does the federal data show about Martha Hester, MD?

High performer (top quartile)

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 03/23/2006

NPI 1598724841

Primary specialty

Family Medicine Physician

High-volume

147,640 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

10,890 219% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 3,418

MIPS final score

99.3/100 16.2 pts vs avg

Exceptional band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in South Carolina

How Family Medicine Physician compares to other specialties among South Carolina providers

South Carolina providers

Largest specialties in South Carolina (% of in-state providers)

Pharmacist - 6.2%Pharmacist6.2%Mental Health Counselor - 5.1%Mental Health Counselor5.1%Family Nurse Practitioner - 4.6%Family Nurse Practitioner4.6%Physical Therapist - 4.5%Physical Therapist4.5%Behavior Technician - 3.8%Behavior Technician3.8%Speech-Language Pathologist - 3.7%Speech-Language Pathologist3.7%Family Medicine Physician - 3.1%Family Medicine Physician3.1%
Largest specialties in South Carolina (% of in-state providers)

Medicare quality performance, MIPS

Martha Hester, MD's 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Family Medicine Physician national average

High performer (top quartile)
MIPS Final Score
99.3/100
vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year

MIPS final score (Family Medicine Physician) - 99.3/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%99%
MIPS final score (Family Medicine Physician) - 99.3/100 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).

Martha Hester, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Family Medicine Physician provider holding MD credentials at 5900 GARNERS FERRY RD, Columbia, SC, 29209, with a listed phone of (803) 695-5450. NPI 1598724841 was issued on 03/23/2006. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what Hester 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 10,890 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 821 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $1.3 million in drug spend, split 15% brand-name and 84% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 3.4%. 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 99.3/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 90.6), compared with the national average of 83.1.

Family Medicine Physician is a high-volume specialty nationwide, with 147,640 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 3,418 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

5900 GARNERS FERRY RD
Columbia, SC 29209

Provider Details

NPI 1598724841
Specialty Family Medicine Physician
Credentials MD
Gender Female
NPI Issued 03/23/2006

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

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

99.3294
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
90.5979
Quality
100
Promoting Interoperability

Reporting: Alternative Payment Model

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where Martha Hester, MD 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.

Prisma Health Medical Group-Midlands
Columbia, SC

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 Martha Hester, MD. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$21

Largest payer

Dexcom, 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

Martha Hester, MD - brand share 15.0%
Family Medicine Physician average

15% brand-name claims vs 84% generic, on 10,890 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.

10,890
Total Claims
$1.3M
Total Drug Cost
821
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
22,698
Total Day Supply
655,303
Brand vs Generic
15% brand / 84% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$1.0M
Generic Drug Cost
$231K
Opioid Claims
368 (3.4% rate)
Antibiotic Claims
388

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
74.0 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
0.97
Gender Split
78% female / 22% male
Age Distribution
<65: 42, 65-74: 414, 75-84: 276, 85+: 89

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

What Martha Hester, MD 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
Levothyroxine Sodium
605
Rosuvastatin Calcium
411
Atorvastatin Calcium
352
Amlodipine Besylate
288
Alprazolam
254
Pantoprazole Sodium
245
Gabapentin
189
Eliquis
Apixaban
174
Escitalopram Oxalate
171
Tramadol Hcl
169

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

Family Medicine Physician Overview

How Martha Hester, MD fits within the Family Medicine Physician landscape nationally.

147,640
Family Medicine Physician Providers in US
56
States with Family Medicine Physician
3,418
Avg Claims per Provider

Martha Hester, MD's 10,890 claims are above the specialty average of 3,418.

Nearby Family Medicine Physician Providers in South Carolina

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

Compare Family Medicine Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Before you book an appointment

Use this federal record as your verification checklist, not as a recommendation.

  • Confirm the NPI record is current in the official CMS registry, providers update their own NPPES details, and moves can lag. Verify this NPI
  • Check the active license and any disciplinary history with the South Carolina medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
  • Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Family Medicine Physician peer on Medicare volume and prescribing patterns. Compare providers

Medicare Part D and MIPS figures describe practice patterns in federal programs only, they are not quality ratings, and PlainDoctor does not rate, rank, or recommend providers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Martha Hester, MD's specialty?
Martha Hester, MD specializes in Family Medicine Physician and practices in Columbia, South Carolina. Credentials: MD.
How much does Martha Hester, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, Martha Hester, MD wrote 10,890 Medicare Part D claims totaling $1.3M in drug costs for 821 beneficiaries.
What is Martha Hester, MD's Medicare quality score?
Martha Hester, MD has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 99.3/100 (Quality: 90.6). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is Martha Hester, MD located?
Martha Hester, MD is located at 5900 GARNERS FERRY RD, Columbia, SC, 29209. Phone: (803) 695-5450.
What is Martha Hester, MD's NPI number?
Martha Hester, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1598724841, issued on 03/23/2006.
Does Martha Hester, MD prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
Martha Hester, MD's prescribing is 15% brand-name and 84% generic drugs by claim count, with $1.0M in brand drug costs.
Does Martha Hester, MD prescribe opioids?
Yes, Martha Hester, MD had 368 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 3.4%.
How many Family Medicine Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 147,640 Family Medicine Physician providers across 56 states in the US. The average Family Medicine Physician provider writes 3,418 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Martha Hester, MD prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Martha Hester, MD's most frequently prescribed drugs include Levothyroxine Sodium, Rosuvastatin Calcium, Atorvastatin Calcium. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Martha Hester, MD accept Medicare?
Martha Hester, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 10,890 Part D claims and 821 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Martha Hester, MD's credentials?
Martha Hester, MD's NPI is 1598724841 with credentials MD. 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

Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.