2026 NPPES data Family Medicine Physician NPI 1821188483 D.O.
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Nicholas Birlew, D.O.

Family Medicine Physician in Stockton, California. 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
12K
Medicare Part D claims · 1K beneficiaries · Family Medicine Physician avg: 3K
Generic prescribing
89%
generic claims · 10% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
MIPS score
96.5/100
▲ 13 pts above national avg 83.1 · Exceptional
Industry payments
$309.73
14 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.

What the federal data shows

Nicholas Birlew, D.O. reported a CMS MIPS final score of 96.5/100 - above the 83.1 national average - and filed 12,456 Medicare Part D claims in 2023.

96.5/100
MIPS score · +13 vs avg
12K
Part D claims, 2023
89%
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.

Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s MIPS score vs every scored U.S. clinician

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

97 Top 17% higher than 83% 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 Nicholas Birlew, D.O. 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, Nicholas Birlew, D.O. writes more Part D claims than 93% of them and scores higher on MIPS quality than 86% - 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: 90Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 5 · MIPS quality, percentile: 37Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 7 · MIPS quality, percentile: 92Part 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: 92Part 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: 97Part 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: 95 · 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: 92Nicholas Birlew, D.O.-Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 93 · MIPS quality, percentile: 86
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 Nicholas Birlew, D.O.. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber data and the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, 2023.

Board certification likely (heuristic, not verified)

Nicholas Birlew, D.O. practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + MIPS quality reporting - 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 Nicholas Birlew, D.O.?

High performer (top quartile)

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 10/13/2006

NPI 1821188483

Primary specialty

Family Medicine Physician

High-volume

147,640 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

12,456 264% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 3,418

MIPS final score

96.5/100 13.4 pts vs avg

Exceptional band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in California

How Family Medicine Physician compares to other specialties among California providers

California providers

Largest specialties in California (% of in-state providers)

Behavior Technician - 17.3%Behavior Technician17.3%Marriage & Family Therapist - 5.5%Marriage & Family Therapist5.5%Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program - 5%Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program5%Mental Health Counselor - 3.9%Mental Health Counselor3.9%Pharmacist - 3.5%Pharmacist3.5%Clinical Social Worker - 3.1%Clinical Social Worker3.1%Family Medicine Physician - 1.7%Family Medicine Physician1.7%
Largest specialties in California (% of in-state providers)

Medicare quality performance, MIPS

Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Family Medicine Physician national average

High performer (top quartile)
MIPS Final Score
96.5/100
vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year

MIPS final score (Family Medicine Physician) - 96.5/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%96.5%
MIPS final score (Family Medicine Physician) - 96.5/100 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).

Nicholas Birlew, D.O. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Family Medicine Physician provider holding D.O. credentials at 1148 W HAMMER LN, Stockton, CA, 95209, with a listed phone of (209) 952-9696. NPI 1821188483 was issued on 10/13/2006. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what Birlew 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 12,456 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 1,222 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $924K in drug spend, split 10% brand-name and 89% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 10.7%. 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. On the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, this provider earned a Final Score of 96.5/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 80.3), 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

1148 W HAMMER LN
Stockton, CA 95209

Provider Details

NPI 1821188483
Specialty Family Medicine Physician
Credentials D.O.
Gender Male
NPI Issued 10/13/2006

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

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

96.5085
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
80.342
Quality
100
Promoting Interoperability

Reporting: Alternative Payment Model

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 Nicholas Birlew, D.O.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$310

Largest payer

Lilly USA, LLC

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.

License & disciplinary context - California MBC 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 ~150K California medical licensees in 2023 - they are NOT specific to Nicholas Birlew, D.O.. To verify Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s current license status, search the MBC public license lookup directly, or check the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) verification service.

576
Total board actions, California 2023
Across 556 cases
3.84
Actions per 1,000 licensees
California statewide rate
probation
Most common action type
186 cases

MBC 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 California disciplinary trends page. Cross-checked against FSMB U.S. Medical Regulatory Trends.

Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Typical

Nicholas Birlew, D.O. - brand share 10.0%
Family Medicine Physician average

10% brand-name claims vs 89% generic, on 12,456 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.

12,456
Total Claims
$924K
Total Drug Cost
1,222
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
25,657
Total Day Supply
730,122
Brand vs Generic
10% brand / 89% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$657K
Generic Drug Cost
$263K
Opioid Claims
1,331 (10.7% rate)
Antibiotic Claims
821

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
72.8 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.40
Gender Split
53% female / 47% male
Age Distribution
<65: 132, 65-74: 589, 75-84: 402, 85+: 99

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

What Nicholas Birlew, D.O. 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
Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen
1,133
Losartan Potassium
661
Amlodipine Besylate
422
Alprazolam
401
Atorvastatin Calcium
395
Azithromycin
392
Lisinopril
380
Metformin Hcl
356
Levothyroxine Sodium
342
Omeprazole
279

* 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 Nicholas Birlew, D.O. 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

Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s 12,456 claims are above the specialty average of 3,418.

Nearby Family Medicine Physician Providers in California

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

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 California 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 Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s specialty?
Nicholas Birlew, D.O. specializes in Family Medicine Physician and practices in Stockton, California. Credentials: D.O..
How much does Nicholas Birlew, D.O. prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, Nicholas Birlew, D.O. wrote 12,456 Medicare Part D claims totaling $924K in drug costs for 1,222 beneficiaries.
What is Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s Medicare quality score?
Nicholas Birlew, D.O. has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 96.5/100 (Quality: 80.3). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is Nicholas Birlew, D.O. located?
Nicholas Birlew, D.O. is located at 1148 W HAMMER LN, Stockton, CA, 95209. Phone: (209) 952-9696.
What is Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s NPI number?
Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1821188483, issued on 10/13/2006.
Does Nicholas Birlew, D.O. prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s prescribing is 10% brand-name and 89% generic drugs by claim count, with $657K in brand drug costs.
Does Nicholas Birlew, D.O. prescribe opioids?
Yes, Nicholas Birlew, D.O. had 1,331 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 10.7%.
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 Nicholas Birlew, D.O. prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, Losartan Potassium, Amlodipine Besylate. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Nicholas Birlew, D.O. accept Medicare?
Nicholas Birlew, D.O. appears in CMS Medicare data with 12,456 Part D claims and 1,222 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s credentials?
Nicholas Birlew, D.O.'s NPI is 1821188483 with credentials D.O.. 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.