2026 NPPES data Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician NPI 1518954502 MD
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Richard Carano, MD

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician in Ames, 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 7,871 in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism 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
10K
Medicare Part D claims · 799 beneficiaries · Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician avg: 3K
Generic prescribing
35%
generic claims · 58% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Industry payments
$17.2
1 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)

What the federal data shows

Richard Carano, MD filed 10,242 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as an Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician in Ames, Iowa, prescribing 35% generic.

10K
Part D claims, 2023
35%
generic prescribing
$17.2
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.

Richard Carano, MD's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber

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

10,242 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. 2K+: 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)

Richard Carano, 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 Richard Carano, MD?

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 10/04/2005

NPI 1518954502

Primary specialty

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician

Mid-sized

7,871 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

10,242 288% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 2,639

Specialty distribution in Iowa

How Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician compares to other specialties among Iowa providers

Iowa providers
Pharmacist6.6%Physical Therapist5.5%Mental Health Counselor5%Family Medicine Physician4.8%Chiropractor4.2%Clinical Social Worker4.1%Endocrinology, Diabetes & Me…0.1%
Largest specialties in Iowa (% of in-state 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 Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism 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).

Richard Carano, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as an Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician provider holding MD credentials at 434 FAWNCOVE LN, Ames, IA, 50010, with a listed phone of (515) 450-7249. NPI 1518954502 was issued on 10/04/2005.

Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 10,242 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 799 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $5.7 million in drug spend, split 58% brand-name and 35% generic by claim count.

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 7,871 enrolled providers across 54 states and an average of 2,639 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

434 FAWNCOVE LN
Ames, IA 50010

Provider Details

NPI 1518954502
Specialty Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician
Credentials MD
Gender Male
NPI Issued 10/04/2005

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 Richard Carano, MD. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$17

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 · Brand-heavy

Richard Carano, MD - brand share 58.0%
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician average

58% brand-name claims vs 35% generic, on 10,242 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.

10,242
Total Claims
$5.7M
Total Drug Cost
799
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
20,717
Total Day Supply
612,174
Brand vs Generic
58% brand / 35% generic
Brand Drug Cost
$5.4M
Generic Drug Cost
$80K

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
72.4 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.48
Gender Split
64% female / 36% male
Age Distribution
<65: 66, 65-74: 433, 75-84: 242, 85+: 58

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

What Richard Carano, MD 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
Levothyroxine Sodium
1,115
Ozempic
Semaglutide
784
Jardiance
Empagliflozin
755
Trulicity
Dulaglutide
402
Novolog Flexpen
Insulin Aspart
401
Atorvastatin Calcium
397
Metformin Hcl Er
Metformin Hcl
361
Metformin Hcl
294
Tresiba Flextouch U-100
Insulin Degludec
288
Tresiba Flextouch U-200
Insulin Degludec
258

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

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician Overview

How Richard Carano, MD fits within the Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician landscape nationally.

7,871
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician Providers in US
54
States with Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician
2,639
Avg Claims per Provider

Richard Carano, MD's 10,242 claims are above the specialty average of 2,639.

Nearby Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician Providers in Iowa

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

Compare Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism 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 Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism 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 Richard Carano, MD's specialty?
Richard Carano, MD specializes in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician and practices in Ames, Iowa. Credentials: MD.
How much does Richard Carano, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, Richard Carano, MD wrote 10,242 Medicare Part D claims totaling $5.7M in drug costs for 799 beneficiaries.
Where is Richard Carano, MD located?
Richard Carano, MD is located at 434 FAWNCOVE LN, Ames, IA, 50010. Phone: (515) 450-7249.
What is Richard Carano, MD's NPI number?
Richard Carano, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1518954502, issued on 10/04/2005.
Does Richard Carano, MD prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs?
Richard Carano, MD's prescribing is 58% brand-name and 35% generic drugs by claim count, with $5.4M in brand drug costs.
How many Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 7,871 Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician providers across 54 states in the US. The average Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Physician provider writes 2,639 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Richard Carano, MD prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Richard Carano, MD's most frequently prescribed drugs include Levothyroxine Sodium, Ozempic, Jardiance. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Richard Carano, MD accept Medicare?
Richard Carano, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 10,242 Part D claims and 799 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Richard Carano, MD's credentials?
Richard Carano, MD's NPI is 1518954502 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 editorial process.

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.