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2026 NPPES data Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician NPI 1548607591 M.D.
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Thomas Starnes, M.D.

Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician in Asheville, North Carolina.

This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 327 in Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) 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
134
Medicare Part D claims · 93 beneficiaries · Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician avg: 229
MIPS score
93.5/100
▲ 10 pts above national avg 83.5 · Exceptional
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Compiled from official public sources by the editorial process.

What the federal data shows

Thomas Starnes, M.D. reported a CMS MIPS final score of 93.5/100 - above the 83.5 national average - and filed 134 Medicare Part D claims in 2024.

93.5/100
MIPS score · +10 vs avg
134
Part D claims, 2024
Likely
board-certified (heuristic)
≥69th
pct among measured MIPS (lower-bound band)

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.

Federal trust snapshot

What official records show about Thomas Starnes, M.D.

Federal records show an active NPI with both Medicare prescribing volume and a measured CMS quality score — objective registry data, not patient reviews.

  • Verified

    NPI registry status

    Active listing in the CMS National Provider Identifier Registry (NPI 1548607591), first enumerated 05/31/2013.

    Source: CMS NPPES

  • Reported

    Medicare Part D participation

    Filed 134 Medicare Part D prescription claims in the 2023 CMS public use file — indicates active Medicare prescribing participation.

    Source: CMS Part D Prescriber PUF

  • Reported

    CMS quality reporting (MIPS)

    Reported a CMS MIPS final score of 93.5/100 in the Quality Payment Program — a federal quality measure, not a patient review.

    Source: CMS Quality Payment Program

  • Reported

    Board certification signal

    Heuristic suggests board-certified status based on ABMS-eligible specialty taxonomy plus active CMS participation signals — not a direct ABMS verification.

    Source: NUCC taxonomy + CMS participation heuristic

  • Reported

    Hospital affiliations

    2 CMS Care Compare hospital affiliations on record — practice footprint from the Doctors and Clinicians file.

    Source: CMS Care Compare

  • Not in federal data

    Individual sanction lookup

    PlainDoctor does not publish per-provider disciplinary determinations. Confirm current license and any individual actions through the state medical board or FSMB verification service.

    Source: State medical board / FSMB

This trust snapshot summarizes only what appears in federal CMS/NPPES public records. It is not a composite score, star rating, patient review, or clinical recommendation. PlainDoctor never fabricates reviews or AggregateRating schema.

CMS NPPES provider registry desk

NPI 1548607591 · Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician

NPI-10 · ENUM-MID · TAX-TRACE · MIPS-ELITE · RX-LIGHT · BOOK-THIN · PHOTO-FINISH

  • NPI-10 1548607591
  • ENUM-MID 2013
  • TAX-TRACE 327
  • MIPS-ELITE 93.5/100
  • RX-LIGHT 134
  • BOOK-THIN 15 in North Carolina
  • PHOTO-FINISH Kayla Prokopakis-Cam… · ±0.3

MIPS final-score neighbourhood

Same-specialty nationwide peers by CMS final score, not geographic proximity

MIPS pts

What this shows Nearest measured MIPS peers for this NUCC specialty (2023 performance year).

Source CMS Quality Payment Program (MIPS) As of 2023

Thomas Starnes, M.D.'s MIPS score vs every measured U.S. clinician

CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final score, 2023, the federal quality measure. Clinicians whose score CMS assigned without scoring any category are excluded.

94 ≥ 69th percentile 69% of 454,083 measured providers are in lower value bands

0–10: 8,684 measured providers (2%). Below this entry. 10–20: 3,008 measured providers (1%). Below this entry. 20–30: 3,069 measured providers (1%). Below this entry. 30–40: 2,746 measured providers (1%). Below this entry. 40–50: 2,928 measured providers (1%). Below this entry. 50–60: 5,882 measured providers (1%). Below this entry. 60–70: 13,906 measured providers (3%). Below this entry. 70–80: 94,570 measured providers (21%). Below this entry. 80–90: 129,887 measured providers (29%). Below this entry. 90+: 189,403 measured providers (42%). This entry sits in this band. This provider 0 100 every measured MIPS clinician, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more measured 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.

The percentile is a conservative whole-score-point band: it counts only measured clinicians in lower score bands. A CMS MIPS metric is not a recommendation or a clinical-quality rating by PlainDoctor. See methodology § corpus placement.

Source CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) · 2023

Where Thomas Starnes, M.D. sits

This provider among sports medicine (emergency medicine) physician peers

Across the 39 sports medicine (emergency medicine) physician providers who report both Medicare Part D prescribing and a MIPS quality score, Thomas Starnes, M.D. writes more Part D claims than 49% of them and scores higher on MIPS quality than 62% - placing this provider in the lower-volume, high-quality quadrant. Volume reflects patient-panel size and specialty, not quality; the two axes are independent.

Lower volume · High qualityHigh volume · High qualityLower volume · Lower qualityHigh volume · Lower quality0255075100024.148.372.496.6Part D claim volume, percentile in specialtyMIPS quality, percentilePoint, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 58 · MIPS quality, percentile: 18Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 61 · MIPS quality, percentile: 34Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 63 · MIPS quality, percentile: 8Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 32 · MIPS quality, percentile: 55Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 0 · MIPS quality, percentile: 47Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 68 · MIPS quality, percentile: 74Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 84 · MIPS quality, percentile: 39Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 82 · MIPS quality, percentile: 13Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 97 · MIPS quality, percentile: 26Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 71 · MIPS quality, percentile: 66Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 89 · MIPS quality, percentile: 42Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 76 · MIPS quality, percentile: 5Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 87 · MIPS quality, percentile: 92Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 24 · MIPS quality, percentile: 68Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 13 · MIPS quality, percentile: 89Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 55 · MIPS quality, percentile: 26Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 5 · MIPS quality, percentile: 24Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 42 · MIPS quality, percentile: 74Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 45 · MIPS quality, percentile: 92Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 18 · MIPS quality, percentile: 21Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 79 · MIPS quality, percentile: 0Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 34 · MIPS quality, percentile: 84Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 53 · MIPS quality, percentile: 11Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 26 · MIPS quality, percentile: 55Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 39 · MIPS quality, percentile: 3Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 66 · MIPS quality, percentile: 82Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 47 · MIPS quality, percentile: 16Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 16 · MIPS quality, percentile: 92Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 26 · MIPS quality, percentile: 92Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 11 · MIPS quality, percentile: 79Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 74 · MIPS quality, percentile: 50Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 37 · MIPS quality, percentile: 32Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 21 · MIPS quality, percentile: 84Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 8 · MIPS quality, percentile: 53Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 95 · MIPS quality, percentile: 42Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 89 · MIPS quality, percentile: 61Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 100 · MIPS quality, percentile: 71Point, Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 3 · MIPS quality, percentile: 37Thomas Starnes, M.D., Part D claim volume, percentile in specialty: 49 · MIPS quality, percentile: 62
Part D claim volume vs MIPS quality, by specialty percentile

Each dot is one sports medicine (emergency medicine) physician peer from a representative sample of 38; the gold marker is Thomas Starnes, M.D.. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber data and the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, 2023.

✓
Board certification likely (heuristic, not verified)

Thomas Starnes, M.D. 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).

What does the federal data show about Thomas Starnes, M.D.?

High performer (top quartile)

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 05/31/2013

NPI 1548607591

Primary specialty

Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician

Rare

327 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

134 41% vs specialty avg

2024 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 229

MIPS final score

93.5/100 10 pts vs avg

Exceptional band

vs 83.5 national avg

Specialty distribution in North Carolina

How Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician compares to other specialties among North Carolina providers

North Carolina providers
Clinical Social Worker7.1%Behavior Technician6.8%Pharmacist4.9%Student in an Organized Heal…4.7%Physical Therapist4.2%Mental Health Counselor4.2%Sports Medicine (Emergency M…0%
Largest specialties in North Carolina (% of in-state providers)

Medicare quality performance, MIPS

Thomas Starnes, M.D.'s 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician national average

High performer (top quartile)
MIPS Final Score
93.5/100
vs 83.5 national avg · 2023 performance year
0%100%National avg84%93.5%
MIPS final score (Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician) - 93.5/100 vs national avg 83.5
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).

Practice Address

18 MEDICAL PARK DR
Asheville, NC 28803
(828) 253-7521

Provider Details

NPI 1548607591
Specialty Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician
Credentials M.D.
Gender Male
NPI Issued 05/31/2013

CMS Quality Score (MIPS)

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

93.5111
Final Score
Measured-score avg: 83.5
84.2392
Quality
100
Promoting Interoperability

Reporting: Alternative Payment Model

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where Thomas Starnes, M.D. 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.

Carolina Hand And Sports Medicine, P.A.
Asheville, NC
Carolina Physical Therapy Associates LLC
Hendersonville, NC

Affiliations sourced from CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File; hospital ratings from CMS Hospital General Information dataset (cross-referenced by facility name + state).

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2024.

134
Total Claims
$524
Total Drug Cost
93
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
134
Total Day Supply
1,801
Brand Drug Cost
$0
Generic Drug Cost
$524
Opioid Claims
41 (30.6% rate)
Antibiotic Claims
20

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
74.2 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
0.94
Gender Split
60% female / 40% male

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2024. Based on Medicare Part D data only.

What Thomas Starnes, M.D. prescribes most

Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2024

claims
Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File As of 2024
Drug Claims
Meloxicam
 19
Methylprednisolone
 19
Tramadol Hcl
 18

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

More Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician in NC → All providers in North Carolina → Compare specialties →

Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician Overview

How Thomas Starnes, M.D. fits within the Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician landscape nationally.

327
Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician Providers in US
46
States with Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician
229
Avg Claims per Provider

Thomas Starnes, M.D.'s 134 claims are below the specialty average of 229.

Nationwide Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician peers with similar MIPS or enrollment year

Two federal-record peer sets for Starnes, both outside North Carolina so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.

Similar MIPS final score

Nearest same-specialty clinicians by CMS MIPS final score (93.5 here).

Kayla Prokopakis-Campbell 93.8 PA George Chiampas 94.1 IL Sanjeev Malik 94.1 IL Larry Richardson 94.7 TN

Same NPPES enumeration year (2013)

Same-specialty clinicians who entered the NPI registry in the same calendar year, outside this state.

Albert Arslan Woodbury, MN Taylor Scholz Bloomington, MN James Fox Tucson, AZ Romulo Vasquez Stamford, CT

Nearby Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician Providers in North Carolina

Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in North Carolina, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Starnes.

One of 15 Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician providers enrolled in North Carolina, 5 are shown here.

Alyssa Baldauf
LAT, ATC
Kill Devil Hills, NC
Dr. Brad Bissell
MD
Monroe, NC
Peter Calcagni
Greenville, NC
Stephen Digh
LAT, ATC
Harrisburg, NC
Dana Dowell
MS, LAT, ATC
Cameron, NC

Compare Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Thomas Starnes, M.D.'s specialty? ▼
Thomas Starnes, M.D. specializes in Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician and practices in Asheville, North Carolina. Credentials: M.D..
How much does Thomas Starnes, M.D. prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2024, Thomas Starnes, M.D. wrote 134 Medicare Part D claims totaling $524 in drug costs for 93 beneficiaries.
What is Thomas Starnes, M.D.'s Medicare quality score? ▼
Thomas Starnes, M.D. has a CMS MIPS Final Score of 93.5/100 (Quality: 84.2). The average MIPS Final Score across the 454,083 clinicians with at least one published category score is 83.5; clinicians whose score CMS assigned without scoring any category are excluded from that average. Source: CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023.
Where is Thomas Starnes, M.D. located? ▼
Thomas Starnes, M.D. is located at 18 MEDICAL PARK DR, Asheville, NC, 28803. Phone: (828) 253-7521.
What is Thomas Starnes, M.D.'s NPI number? ▼
Thomas Starnes, M.D.'s National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1548607591, issued on 05/31/2013.
Does Thomas Starnes, M.D. prescribe opioids? ▼
Yes, Thomas Starnes, M.D. had 41 opioid claims in 2024 with an opioid prescribing rate of 30.6%.
How many Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 327 Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician providers across 46 states in the US. The average Sports Medicine (Emergency Medicine) Physician provider writes 229 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Thomas Starnes, M.D. prescribe most often? ▼
Based on 2024 Medicare Part D data, Thomas Starnes, M.D.'s most frequently prescribed drugs include Meloxicam, Methylprednisolone, Tramadol Hcl. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Thomas Starnes, M.D. accept Medicare? ▼
Thomas Starnes, M.D. appears in CMS Medicare data with 134 Part D claims and 93 Medicare beneficiaries in 2024. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Thomas Starnes, M.D.'s credentials? ▼
Thomas Starnes, M.D.'s NPI is 1548607591 with credentials M.D.. 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 (2024). 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 August 2026 (NPPES) / 2024 (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 August 2026.