2026 NPPES data Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician NPI 1164515318 M.D.
Verify on CMS →

MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.

Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician in LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas. 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
514
Medicare Part D claims · 200 beneficiaries · Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician avg: 128
Generic prescribing
93%
generic claims · 7% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Industry payments
$4.1K
48 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)

What the federal data shows

MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. filed 514 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician in LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, prescribing 93% generic.

514
Part D claims, 2023
93%
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.

MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.'s Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber

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

514 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

Board certification likely (heuristic — not verified)

MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + 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 MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.?

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 10/02/2006

NPI 1164515318

Primary specialty

Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician

Mid-sized

5,062 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

514 302% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 128

Specialty distribution in Arkansas

How Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician compares to other specialties among Arkansas providers

Arkansas providers

Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician share within Arkansas

1. Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician share within Arkansas

Specialty board-certification context

Estimated specialty board-certified rate — Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician (ABMS / AOA reference)

Quality data not reported
Est. board-certified rate
78%
Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician ABMS/AOA estimate

Est. board-certified rate (Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician) — ABMS / AOA estimate

0%100%78%
Est. board-certified rate (Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician) — 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).

MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician provider holding M.D. credentials at 7 SHACKLEFORD WEST BLVD, LITTLE ROCK, AR, 72211, with a listed phone of (501) 492-2525. NPI 1164515318 was issued on 10/02/2006. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what NOLEN 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 514 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 200 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $15K in drug spend, split 7% brand-name and 93% 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.

Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 5,062 enrolled providers across 52 states and an average of 128 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

7 SHACKLEFORD WEST BLVD
LITTLE ROCK, AR 72211

Provider Details

NPI 1164515318
Specialty Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician
Credentials M.D.
Gender Male
NPI Issued 10/02/2006

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where MICHAEL NOLEN, 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.

ARKANSAS HEART HOSPITAL LLC
LITTLE ROCK, AR

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 MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$4.1K

Largest payer

Abbott Laboratories

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

MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. — brand share 7.0%
Specialty average (est.)

7% brand-name claims vs 93% generic, on 514 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.

514
Total Claims
$15K
Total Drug Cost
200
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
619
Total Day Supply
9,405
Brand vs Generic
7% brand / 93% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$12K
Generic Drug Cost
$3K
Antibiotic Claims
12

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
72.5 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.33
Gender Split
36% female / 65% male

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

What MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. 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
Famotidine
148
Allopurinol
144
Clopidogrel
Clopidogrel Bisulfate
24
Amlodipine Besylate
19
Furosemide
17
Metoprolol Tartrate
17
Eliquis
Apixaban
16
Hydrochlorothiazide
16
Potassium Chloride
14

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

Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician Overview

How MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. fits within the Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician landscape nationally.

5,062
Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician Providers in US
52
States with Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician
128
Avg Claims per Provider

MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.'s 514 claims are above the specialty average of 128.

Nearby Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician Providers in Arkansas

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

Compare Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.'s specialty?
MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. specializes in Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician and practices in LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas. Credentials: M.D..
How much does MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. wrote 514 Medicare Part D claims totaling $15K in drug costs for 200 beneficiaries.
Where is MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. located?
MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. is located at 7 SHACKLEFORD WEST BLVD, LITTLE ROCK, AR, 72211. Phone: (501) 492-2525.
What is MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.'s NPI number?
MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1164515318, issued on 10/02/2006.
Does MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.'s prescribing is 7% brand-name and 93% generic drugs by claim count, with $12K in brand drug costs.
How many Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 5,062 Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician providers across 52 states in the US. The average Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) Physician provider writes 128 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Famotidine, Allopurinol, Clopidogrel. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. accept Medicare?
MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 514 Part D claims and 200 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.'s credentials?
MICHAEL NOLEN, M.D.'s NPI is 1164515318 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.
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