NPI registry status
Active
2026 NPPES data Surgery Physician NPI 1255954756 MD
Verify on CMS → Nicole Nitschke, MD
Surgery Physician in Iowa City, Iowa.
This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 36,199 in Surgery 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
33
Medicare Part D claims · 17 beneficiaries · Surgery Physician avg: 169
Generic prescribing
61%
generic claims · 39% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File, 2023
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.
What the federal data shows
Nicole Nitschke, MD filed 33 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Surgery Physician in Iowa City, Iowa, prescribing 61% generic.
- 33
- Part D claims, 2023
- 61%
- generic prescribing
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.
Nicole Nitschke, MD's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber
Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023, across all CMS prescribers nationally
33 0th percentile higher than 0% of 1,370,886 prescribers
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
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Board-eligible specialty (heuristic, not verified)
Nicole Nitschke, MD 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 Nicole Nitschke, MD?
Quality data not reportedPrimary specialty
Surgery Physician
Medicare Part D claims
33 80% vs specialty avg
Specialty distribution in Iowa
How Surgery Physician compares to other specialties among Iowa providers
Board certification
Not published by CMS
CMS does not publish a per-provider board-certification field in NPPES. PlainDoctor does not have a reliable per-specialty certification rate to show for Surgery Physician. Verify directly:
How MIPS and board certification work
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).
Nicole Nitschke, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Surgery Physician provider holding MD credentials at 200 HAWKINS DR DEPT OF, Iowa City, IA, 52242, with a listed phone of (319) 356-1616. NPI 1255954756 was issued on 05/19/2020.
Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 33 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 17 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $4K in drug spend, split 39% brand-name and 61% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 39.4%.
Surgery Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 36,199 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 169 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
Provider Details
| NPI | 1255954756 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Surgery Physician |
| Credentials | MD |
| Gender | Female |
| NPI Issued | 05/19/2020 |
Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Above average
Nicole Nitschke, MD - brand share 39.0%
Surgery Physician average
39% brand-name claims vs 61% generic, on 33 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.
33
Total Claims
$4K
Total Drug Cost
17
Medicare Beneficiaries
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 33
- Total Day Supply
- 394
- Brand vs Generic
- 39% brand / 61% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $4K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $171
- Opioid Claims
- 13 (39.4% rate)
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 64.4 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 2.34
Surgery Physician Overview
How Nicole Nitschke, MD fits within the Surgery Physician landscape nationally.
36,199
Surgery Physician Providers in US
56
States with Surgery Physician
169
Avg Claims per Provider
Nicole Nitschke, MD's 33 claims are below the specialty average of 169.
Nearby Surgery Physician Providers in Iowa
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Iowa, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Nitschke.
Dr. David Aanestad
MD
Davenport, IA
Dr. Mark Abraham
MD
Carroll, IA
Josiah Adamson
Des Moines, IA
Dr. Johan Aerts
D.O.
Des Moines, IA
Dr. Patrick Ahrens
M.D.
Council Bluffs, IA
Compare Surgery 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 Iowa medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
- Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Surgery 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.
Healthcare Guides
Learn more about finding, verifying, and understanding healthcare providers.
How to Find a Doctor
Step-by-step guide to choosing a provider
Verify Credentials
Check NPI, board certification & license status
Medical Specialties Explained
Who treats what and how specialties differ
Understanding Medicare Claims Data
What prescribing data reveals about a provider
In-Network vs Out-of-Network
How insurance networks affect your costs
Telehealth Guide
Virtual care options and coverage in 2026
Explore Iowa
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nicole Nitschke, MD's specialty? ▼
Nicole Nitschke, MD specializes in Surgery Physician and practices in Iowa City, Iowa. Credentials: MD.
How much does Nicole Nitschke, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2023, Nicole Nitschke, MD wrote 33 Medicare Part D claims totaling $4K in drug costs for 17 beneficiaries.
Where is Nicole Nitschke, MD located? ▼
Nicole Nitschke, MD is located at 200 HAWKINS DR DEPT OF, Iowa City, IA, 52242. Phone: (319) 356-1616.
What is Nicole Nitschke, MD's NPI number? ▼
Nicole Nitschke, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1255954756, issued on 05/19/2020.
Does Nicole Nitschke, MD prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs? ▼
Nicole Nitschke, MD's prescribing is 39% brand-name and 61% generic drugs by claim count, with $4K in brand drug costs.
Does Nicole Nitschke, MD prescribe opioids? ▼
Yes, Nicole Nitschke, MD had 13 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 39.4%.
How many Surgery Physician providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 36,199 Surgery Physician providers across 56 states in the US. The average Surgery Physician provider writes 169 Medicare Part D claims per year.
Does Nicole Nitschke, MD accept Medicare? ▼
Nicole Nitschke, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 33 Part D claims and 17 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Nicole Nitschke, MD's credentials? ▼
Nicole Nitschke, MD's NPI is 1255954756 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
View source datasets and methodology notes
- 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
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.
Every figure on PlainDoctor is rendered directly from the federal CMS NPPES registry, Medicare Part D, MIPS, and Open Payments records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.