2026 NPPES data Family Medicine Physician NPI 1265585608 M.D.
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MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.

Family Medicine Physician in DEER LODGE, Montana. 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
9K
Medicare Part D claims · 48 beneficiaries · Family Medicine Physician avg: 3K
Generic prescribing
95%
generic claims · 5% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Industry payments
$588.77
1 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)

What the federal data shows

MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. filed 9,059 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Family Medicine Physician in DEER LODGE, Montana, prescribing 95% generic.

9K
Part D claims, 2023
95%
generic prescribing
$588.77
industry payments (Sunshine Act)

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.

MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.'s Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber

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

9,059 Top 2% higher than 98% 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%). Below this entry. 600–800: 56,224 prescribers (4%). Below this entry. 800–1,000: 40,919 prescribers (3%). Below this entry. 1,000–1,200: 31,827 prescribers (2%). Below this entry. 1,200–1,400: 26,224 prescribers (2%). Below this entry. 1,400–1,600: 21,710 prescribers (2%). Below this entry. 1,600–1,800: 19,072 prescribers (1%). Below this entry. 1,800–2,000: 16,451 prescribers (1%). Below this entry. 2,000–2,200: 213,991 prescribers (16%). This entry sits in this band. 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-eligible specialty (heuristic — not verified)

MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty but we don't have enough CMS-participation signals to confirm active board-certified status. Consult CertificationMatters.org (the official ABMS public lookup).

What does the federal data show about MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.?

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 01/19/2007

NPI 1265585608

Primary specialty

Family Medicine Physician

High-volume

147,640 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

9,059 165% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 3,418

Specialty distribution in Montana

How Family Medicine Physician compares to other specialties among Montana providers

Montana providers

Family Medicine Physician share within Montana

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

Specialty board-certification context

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

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

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

0%100%78%
Est. board-certified rate (Family Medicine 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).

MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Family Medicine Physician provider holding M.D. credentials at 600 MAIN ST, DEER LODGE, MT, 59722, with a listed phone of (406) 846-7770. NPI 1265585608 was issued on 01/19/2007. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what HOWARD 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 9,059 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 48 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $224K in drug spend, split 5% brand-name and 95% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 1.0%. 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.

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

600 MAIN ST
DEER LODGE, MT 59722

Provider Details

NPI 1265585608
Specialty Family Medicine Physician
Credentials M.D.
Gender Female
NPI Issued 01/19/2007

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 MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$589

Largest payer

Pulmonx Corporation

Most common payment type

Travel and Lodging

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

MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. — brand share 5.0%
Specialty average (est.)

5% brand-name claims vs 95% generic, on 9,059 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.

9,059
Total Claims
$224K
Total Drug Cost
48
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
9,110
Total Day Supply
71,809
Brand vs Generic
5% brand / 95% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$145K
Generic Drug Cost
$80K
Opioid Claims
95 (1.0% rate)
Antibiotic Claims
58

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
73.2 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
2.32
Gender Split
38% female / 63% male

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

What MICHELLE HOWARD, 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
Atorvastatin Calcium
726
Lisinopril
444
Gabapentin
415
Omeprazole
399
Levothyroxine Sodium
381
Duloxetine Hcl
354
Tamsulosin Hcl
328
Metformin Hcl
308
Quetiapine Fumarate
281
Divalproex Sodium
269

* 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 MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. 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

MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.'s 9,059 claims are above the specialty average of 3,418.

Nearby Family Medicine Physician Providers in Montana

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.'s specialty?
MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. specializes in Family Medicine Physician and practices in DEER LODGE, Montana. Credentials: M.D..
How much does MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. wrote 9,059 Medicare Part D claims totaling $224K in drug costs for 48 beneficiaries.
Where is MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. located?
MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. is located at 600 MAIN ST, DEER LODGE, MT, 59722. Phone: (406) 846-7770.
What is MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.'s NPI number?
MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1265585608, issued on 01/19/2007.
Does MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.'s prescribing is 5% brand-name and 95% generic drugs by claim count, with $145K in brand drug costs.
Does MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. prescribe opioids?
Yes, MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. had 95 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 1.0%.
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 MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Atorvastatin Calcium, Lisinopril, Gabapentin. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. accept Medicare?
MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 9,059 Part D claims and 48 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.'s credentials?
MICHELLE HOWARD, M.D.'s NPI is 1265585608 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