2026 NPPES data Orthopaedic Surgery Physician NPI 1710915962 MD
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STEPHEN TOWER, MD

Orthopaedic Surgery Physician in ANCHORAGE, Alaska. 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
391
Medicare Part D claims · 74 beneficiaries · Orthopaedic Surgery Physician avg: 324
MIPS score
65.4504/100
▼ 18 pts below national avg 83.1 · [object Object]
Industry payments
$108.1
1 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)
What the federal data reveals: STEPHEN TOWER, MD is a Orthopaedic Surgery Physician ([object Object]) practicing in ANCHORAGE, Alaska with a Medicare Part D prescribing footprint of 391 claims across 74 beneficiaries . Their CMS MIPS Final Score of 65.4504/100 (national average: 83.1) reflects performance across Quality, Cost, Interoperability, and Improvement Activities . Industry payments of $108.1 across 1 transactions are disclosed under CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act).

What stands out: STEPHEN TOWER, MD reported a CMS MIPS final score of 65.4504 out of 100, below the 83.1 national average, and filed 391 Medicare Part D claims in 2023. Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records, with no proprietary rating applied.

Board certification likely (heuristic — not verified)

STEPHEN TOWER, MD practices in an ABMS-board-eligible specialty and shows active CMS Medicare participation + MIPS quality reporting + 2 hospital affiliations — signals consistent with board-certified status. For verified board certification, see CertificationMatters.org (the official ABMS public lookup).

STEPHEN TOWER, MD at a glance

Below national average

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 06/28/2006

NPI 1710915962

Primary specialty

Orthopaedic Surgery Physician

Mid-sized

25,781 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

391 21% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 324

MIPS final score

65.4504/100 17.649599999999992% pts

Mid-tier band

vs 83.1 national avg

Specialty distribution in Alaska

How Orthopaedic Surgery Physician compares to other specialties among Alaska providers

Alaska providers

Orthopaedic Surgery Physician share within Alaska

1. Orthopaedic Surgery Physician42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Orthopaedic Surgery Physician share within Alaska

Medicare quality performance — MIPS

STEPHEN TOWER, MD's 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Orthopaedic Surgery Physician national average

Below national average
MIPS Final Score
65.4504/100
vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year

MIPS final score (Orthopaedic Surgery Physician) — 65.4504/100 vs national avg 83.1

0%100%National avg83%65.5%
MIPS final score (Orthopaedic Surgery Physician) — 65.4504/100 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).

STEPHEN TOWER, MD is a Orthopaedic Surgery Physician provider practicing in ANCHORAGE, Alaska, according to the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). Credentials: MD. NPI: 1710915962. 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.

STEPHEN TOWER, MD appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Orthopaedic Surgery Physician provider holding MD credentials at 301 W NORTHERN LIGHTS BLVD STE 600, ANCHORAGE, AK, 99503, with a listed phone of (907) 771-3500. NPI 1710915962 was issued on 06/28/2006. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what TOWER 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 391 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 74 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $15K in drug spend, with an opioid prescribing rate of 33.5%. 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 65.4504/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 74.8346, Cost 10), compared with the national average of 83.1.

Orthopaedic Surgery Physician is a mid-sized specialty nationwide, with 25,781 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 324 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

301 W NORTHERN LIGHTS BLVD STE 600
ANCHORAGE, AK 99503

Provider Details

NPI 1710915962
Specialty Orthopaedic Surgery Physician
Credentials MD
Gender Male
NPI Issued 06/28/2006

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

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

65.4504
Final Score
Avg: 83.1
74.8346
Quality
10
Cost
100
Promoting Interoperability

Reporting: Group practice

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where STEPHEN TOWER, MD 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.

ALASKA ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALISTS, LLC
ANCHORAGE, AK
TOWER JOINT REPLACEMENT CLINIC
ANCHORAGE, AK

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 STEPHEN TOWER, MD. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$108

Largest payer

Total Joint Orthopedics, 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.

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.

391
Total Claims
$15K
Total Drug Cost
74
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
473
Total Day Supply
8,718
Generic Drug Cost
$3K
Opioid Claims
131 (33.5% rate)

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
72.3 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
0.73
Gender Split
61% female / 39% male

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

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

Drug Claims
Gabapentin
116
Tramadol Hcl
93
Meloxicam
50
Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen
27
Eliquis
Apixaban
18
Hydroxyzine Hcl
11
Water
"Water For Irrigation
N/A

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

Orthopaedic Surgery Physician Overview

How STEPHEN TOWER, MD fits within the Orthopaedic Surgery Physician landscape nationally.

25,781
Orthopaedic Surgery Physician Providers in US
56
States with Orthopaedic Surgery Physician
324
Avg Claims per Provider

STEPHEN TOWER, MD's 391 claims are above the specialty average of 324.

Nearby Orthopaedic Surgery Physician Providers in Alaska

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

Compare Orthopaedic Surgery Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is STEPHEN TOWER, MD's specialty?
STEPHEN TOWER, MD specializes in Orthopaedic Surgery Physician and practices in ANCHORAGE, Alaska. Credentials: MD.
How much does STEPHEN TOWER, MD prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, STEPHEN TOWER, MD wrote 391 Medicare Part D claims totaling $15K in drug costs for 74 beneficiaries.
What is STEPHEN TOWER, MD's Medicare quality score?
STEPHEN TOWER, MD has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 65.4504/100 (Quality: 74.8346, Cost: 10). The national average MIPS Final Score is 83.1. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is STEPHEN TOWER, MD located?
STEPHEN TOWER, MD is located at 301 W NORTHERN LIGHTS BLVD STE 600, ANCHORAGE, AK, 99503. Phone: (907) 771-3500.
What is STEPHEN TOWER, MD's NPI number?
STEPHEN TOWER, MD's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1710915962, issued on 06/28/2006.
Does STEPHEN TOWER, MD prescribe opioids?
Yes, STEPHEN TOWER, MD had 131 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 33.5%.
How many Orthopaedic Surgery Physician providers are there in the US?
There are 25,781 Orthopaedic Surgery Physician providers across 56 states in the US. The average Orthopaedic Surgery Physician provider writes 324 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does STEPHEN TOWER, MD prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, STEPHEN TOWER, MD's most frequently prescribed drugs include Gabapentin, Tramadol Hcl, Meloxicam. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does STEPHEN TOWER, MD accept Medicare?
STEPHEN TOWER, MD appears in CMS Medicare data with 391 Part D claims and 74 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify STEPHEN TOWER, MD's credentials?
STEPHEN TOWER, MD's NPI is 1710915962 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

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