NPI registry status
Active
2026 NPPES data Rheumatology Physician NPI 1932163813
Verify on CMS → Sean Tao
Rheumatology Physician in Houston, Texas.
This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 6,181 in Rheumatology 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
3K
Medicare Part D claims · 555 beneficiaries · Rheumatology Physician avg: 2K
Generic prescribing
79%
generic claims · 21% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
MIPS score
27.6/100
▼ 55 pts below national avg 83.1 · Below average
Industry payments
$799.12
40 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
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
Sean Tao reported a CMS MIPS final score of 27.6/100 - below the 83.1 national average - and filed 3,281 Medicare Part D claims in 2023.
- 27.6/100
- MIPS score · -55 vs avg
- 3K
- Part D claims, 2023
- 79%
- 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.
Sean Tao's MIPS score vs every scored U.S. clinician
CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final score, 2023, the federal quality measure
28 3rd percentile higher than 3% of 477,587 scored providers
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 Sean Tao sits
This provider among rheumatology physician peers
Across the 2,181 rheumatology physician providers who report both Medicare Part D prescribing and a MIPS quality score, Sean Tao writes more Part D claims than 75% of them and scores higher on MIPS quality than 3% - placing this provider in the high-volume, lower-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
Each dot is one rheumatology physician peer from a representative sample of 60; the gold marker is Sean Tao. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber data and the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, 2023.
✓
Board certification likely (heuristic, not verified)
Sean Tao 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 Sean Tao?
Below national averagePrimary specialty
Rheumatology Physician
Medicare Part D claims
3,281 60% vs specialty avg
MIPS final score
27.6/100 55.5 pts vs avg
Specialty distribution in Texas
How Rheumatology Physician compares to other specialties among Texas providers
Medicare quality performance, MIPS
Sean Tao's 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Rheumatology Physician national average
- MIPS Final Score
- 27.6/100
- vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year
MIPS final score (Rheumatology Physician) - 27.6/100 vs national avg 83.1
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).
Sean Tao appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Rheumatology Physician provider at 7737 SOUTHWEST FREEWAY, Houston, TX, 77074, with a listed phone of (713) 541-1112. NPI 1932163813 was issued on 04/17/2006.
Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 3,281 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 555 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $4.0 million in drug spend, split 21% brand-name and 79% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 5.4%. On the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, this provider earned a Final Score of 27.6/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 0, Cost 92.1), compared with the national average of 83.1.
Rheumatology Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 6,181 enrolled providers across 52 states and an average of 2,054 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 | 1932163813 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Rheumatology Physician |
| Gender | Male |
| NPI Issued | 04/17/2006 |
CMS Quality Score (MIPS)
Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores from CMS, 2023 performance year.
27.6201
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
0
Quality
92.067
Cost
Reporting: Individual
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 Sean Tao. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.
Total received
$799
Largest payer
Amgen Inc.
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 - Texas TMB 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 ~77K Texas medical licensees in 2023 - they are NOT specific to Sean Tao. To verify Sean Tao's current license status, search the TMB public license lookup directly, or check the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) verification service.
344
Total board actions, Texas 2023
Across 334 cases
4.47
Actions per 1,000 licensees
Texas statewide rate
probation
Most common action type
94 cases
TMB 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 Texas disciplinary trends page. Cross-checked against FSMB U.S. Medical Regulatory Trends.
Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Typical
Sean Tao - brand share 21.0%
Rheumatology Physician average
21% brand-name claims vs 79% generic, on 3,281 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.
3,281
Total Claims
$4.0M
Total Drug Cost
555
Medicare Beneficiaries
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 6,519
- Total Day Supply
- 190,422
- Brand vs Generic
- 21% brand / 79% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $3.9M
- Generic Drug Cost
- $113K
- Opioid Claims
- 178 (5.4% rate)
- Antibiotic Claims
- 15
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 73.7 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 1.61
- Gender Split
- 79% female / 21% male
- Age Distribution
- <65: 44, 65-74: 277, 75-84: 189, 85+: 45
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What Sean Tao prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Hydroxychloroquine…
Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate
499 claims
- Methotrexate
Methotrexate
355 claims
- Prednisone
Prednisone
327 claims
- Meloxicam 199
Meloxicam
199 claims
- Humira(Cf) Pen 178
Humira(Cf) Pen
178 claims
- Tramadol Hcl 178
Tramadol Hcl
178 claims
- Leflunomide 130
Leflunomide
130 claims
- Allopurinol 129
Allopurinol
129 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate | 499 |
| Methotrexate Methotrexate Sodium | 355 |
| Prednisone | 327 |
| Meloxicam | 199 |
| Humira(Cf) Pen Adalimumab | 178 |
| Tramadol Hcl | 178 |
| Leflunomide | 130 |
| Allopurinol | 129 |
| Gabapentin | 101 |
| Mycophenolate Mofetil | 83 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Rheumatology Physician Overview
How Sean Tao fits within the Rheumatology Physician landscape nationally.
6,181
Rheumatology Physician Providers in US
52
States with Rheumatology Physician
2,054
Avg Claims per Provider
Sean Tao's 3,281 claims are above the specialty average of 2,054.
Nearby Rheumatology Physician Providers in Texas
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Texas, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Tao.
Dr. Michael Abel
MD
Fredericksburg, TX
Dr. Tareq Abou-Khamis
M.D.
Houston, TX
Dr. Robert Abresch
M.D.
El Paso, TX
Dr. Sampada Acharya
MD
Fort Worth, TX
Dr. Waffiyah Afridi
M.D.
Farmers Branch, TX
Compare Rheumatology 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 Texas medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
- Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Rheumatology 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
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Medical Specialties Explained
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Understanding Medicare Claims Data
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How insurance networks affect your costs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sean Tao's specialty? ▼
Sean Tao specializes in Rheumatology Physician and practices in Houston, Texas.
How much does Sean Tao prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2023, Sean Tao wrote 3,281 Medicare Part D claims totaling $4.0M in drug costs for 555 beneficiaries.
What is Sean Tao's Medicare quality score? ▼
Sean Tao has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 27.6/100 (Quality: 0, Cost: 92.1). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is Sean Tao located? ▼
Sean Tao is located at 7737 SOUTHWEST FREEWAY, Houston, TX, 77074. Phone: (713) 541-1112.
What is Sean Tao's NPI number? ▼
Sean Tao's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1932163813, issued on 04/17/2006.
Does Sean Tao prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs? ▼
Sean Tao's prescribing is 21% brand-name and 79% generic drugs by claim count, with $3.9M in brand drug costs.
Does Sean Tao prescribe opioids? ▼
Yes, Sean Tao had 178 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 5.4%.
How many Rheumatology Physician providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 6,181 Rheumatology Physician providers across 52 states in the US. The average Rheumatology Physician provider writes 2,054 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Sean Tao prescribe most often? ▼
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Sean Tao's most frequently prescribed drugs include Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate, Methotrexate, Prednisone. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Sean Tao accept Medicare? ▼
Sean Tao appears in CMS Medicare data with 3,281 Part D claims and 555 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Sean Tao's credentials? ▼
Sean Tao's NPI is 1932163813. 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.
- 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.