2026 NPPES data Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist NPI 1134618705 DPM
Verify on CMS →

NICHOLAS LACO, DPM

Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist in LOUISVILLE, Kentucky. 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
224
Medicare Part D claims · 66 beneficiaries · Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist avg: 309
Generic prescribing
95%
generic claims · 5% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
MIPS score
73.1977/100
▼ 10 pts below national avg 83.1 · [object Object]
Industry payments
$11.8K
205 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
What the federal data reveals: NICHOLAS LACO, DPM is a Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist ([object Object]) practicing in LOUISVILLE, Kentucky with a Medicare Part D prescribing footprint of 224 claims across 66 beneficiaries — 5% brand-name prescribing . Their CMS MIPS Final Score of 73.1977/100 (national average: 83.1) reflects performance across Quality, Cost, Interoperability, and Improvement Activities . Industry payments of $11.8K across 205 transactions are disclosed under CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act).

What stands out: NICHOLAS LACO, DPM reported a CMS MIPS final score of 73.1977 out of 100, below the 83.1 national average, and filed 224 Medicare Part D claims in 2023. Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records, with no proprietary rating applied.

NICHOLAS LACO, DPM at a glance

Below national average

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 05/08/2018

NPI 1134618705

Primary specialty

Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist

Mid-sized

8,920 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

224 28% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 309

MIPS final score

73.1977/100 9.902299999999997% pts

Mid-tier band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in Kentucky

How Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist compares to other specialties among Kentucky providers

Kentucky providers

Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist share within Kentucky

1. Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist share within Kentucky

Medicare quality performance — MIPS

NICHOLAS LACO, DPM's 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist national average

Below national average
MIPS Final Score
73.1977/100
vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year

MIPS final score (Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist) — 73.1977/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%73.2%
MIPS final score (Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist) — 73.1977/100 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 LACO, DPM is a Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist provider practicing in LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, according to the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). Credentials: DPM. NPI: 1134618705. 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.

NICHOLAS LACO, DPM appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist provider holding DPM credentials at 550 S JACKSON ST FL 1, LOUISVILLE, KY, 40202, with a listed phone of (502) 588-4720. NPI 1134618705 was issued on 05/08/2018. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what LACO 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 224 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 66 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $11K in drug spend, split 5% brand-name and 95% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 26.8%. 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 73.1977/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 58.7401, Cost 51.919), compared with the national average of 83.1.

Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 8,920 enrolled providers across 53 states and an average of 309 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

550 S JACKSON ST FL 1
LOUISVILLE, KY 40202

Provider Details

NPI 1134618705
Specialty Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist
Credentials DPM
Gender Male
NPI Issued 05/08/2018

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

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

73.1977
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
58.7401
Quality
51.919
Cost
100
Promoting Interoperability

Reporting: Group practice

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where NICHOLAS LACO, DPM 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.

SN KENTUCKIANA REHAB, LLC
LOUISVILLE, KY
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE PHYSICIANS INC
LOUISVILLE, KY

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 NICHOLAS LACO, DPM. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$11.8K

Largest payer

Stryker Corporation

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

NICHOLAS LACO, DPM — brand share 5.0%
Specialty average (est.)

5% brand-name claims vs 95% generic, on 224 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.

224
Total Claims
$11K
Total Drug Cost
66
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
227
Total Day Supply
2,684
Brand vs Generic
5% brand / 95% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$6K
Generic Drug Cost
$5K
Opioid Claims
60 (26.8% rate)
Antibiotic Claims
95

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
61.5 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
2.28
Gender Split
44% female / 56% male
Age Distribution
<65: 36, 65-74: 22, 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
43
Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim
Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim
29
Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Potass
Amoxicillin/Potassium Clav
20
Doxycycline Hyclate
19
Prednisone
11

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

Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist Overview

How NICHOLAS LACO, DPM fits within the Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist landscape nationally.

8,920
Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist Providers in US
53
States with Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist
309
Avg Claims per Provider

NICHOLAS LACO, DPM's 224 claims are below the specialty average of 309.

Nearby Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist Providers in Kentucky

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

Compare Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NICHOLAS LACO, DPM's specialty?
NICHOLAS LACO, DPM specializes in Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist and practices in LOUISVILLE, Kentucky. Credentials: DPM.
How much does NICHOLAS LACO, DPM prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, NICHOLAS LACO, DPM wrote 224 Medicare Part D claims totaling $11K in drug costs for 66 beneficiaries.
What is NICHOLAS LACO, DPM's Medicare quality score?
NICHOLAS LACO, DPM has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 73.1977/100 (Quality: 58.7401, Cost: 51.919). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is NICHOLAS LACO, DPM located?
NICHOLAS LACO, DPM is located at 550 S JACKSON ST FL 1, LOUISVILLE, KY, 40202. Phone: (502) 588-4720.
What is NICHOLAS LACO, DPM's NPI number?
NICHOLAS LACO, DPM's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1134618705, issued on 05/08/2018.
Does NICHOLAS LACO, DPM prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
NICHOLAS LACO, DPM's prescribing is 5% brand-name and 95% generic drugs by claim count, with $6K in brand drug costs.
Does NICHOLAS LACO, DPM prescribe opioids?
Yes, NICHOLAS LACO, DPM had 60 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 26.8%.
How many Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist providers are there in the US?
There are 8,920 Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist providers across 53 states in the US. The average Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist provider writes 309 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does NICHOLAS LACO, DPM prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, NICHOLAS LACO, DPM's most frequently prescribed drugs include Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim, Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Potass. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does NICHOLAS LACO, DPM accept Medicare?
NICHOLAS LACO, DPM appears in CMS Medicare data with 224 Part D claims and 66 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify NICHOLAS LACO, DPM's credentials?
NICHOLAS LACO, DPM's NPI is 1134618705 with credentials DPM. 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