Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D.
Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 1,608 in Colon & Rectal 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.
Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File, 2023
What the federal data shows
Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D. reported a CMS MIPS final score of 82.3/100 - below the 83.1 national average - and filed 233 Medicare Part D claims in 2023.
- 82.3/100
- MIPS score · -1 vs avg
- 233
- Part D claims, 2023
- 94%
- 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.
Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D.'s MIPS score vs every scored U.S. clinician
CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final score, 2023, the federal quality measure
82 39th percentile higher than 39% 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 Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D. sits
This provider among colon & rectal surgery physician peers
Across the 536 colon & rectal surgery physician providers who report both Medicare Part D prescribing and a MIPS quality score, Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D. writes more Part D claims than 67% of them and scores higher on MIPS quality than 37% - 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 colon & rectal surgery physician peer from a representative sample of 60; the gold marker is Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D.. Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber data and the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System, 2023.
Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., 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 Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D.?
Near national averagePrimary specialty
Medicare Part D claims
MIPS final score
Specialty distribution in Minnesota
How Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician compares to other specialties among Minnesota providers
Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician ranks #145 among Minnesota's specialties (0% of in-state providers)
Each bar is a specialty's share of the Minnesota provider total, by primary NUCC taxonomy. The highlighted bar is Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician; the long tail of smaller specialties is omitted for legibility.
Medicare quality performance, MIPS
Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D.'s 2023 MIPS final score plotted against the Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician national average
- MIPS Final Score
- 82.3/100
- vs 83.1 national avg · 2023 performance year
MIPS final score (Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician) - 82.3/100 vs national avg 83.1
Quality benchmarks
- National MIPS avg 2023 reporting year
- Quality dim CMS Quality category
- Cost dim CMS Cost category
- Specialty volume Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician US NPIs
82.3/100 MIPS final score - 0.8 pts below the 83.1 national average
Quality, Cost, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities composite score for the 2023 performance year. Specialty: Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician. Quality dim: 81.5. Cost dim: 38.2.
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).
Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D. appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician provider holding M.S., M.D. credentials at 420 DELAWARE ST SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, with a listed phone of (612) 624-9708. NPI 1083857148 was issued on 04/19/2009. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what Gaertner 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 233 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 95 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $8K in drug spend, split 6% brand-name and 94% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 9.9%. 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 82.3/100 for the 2023 performance year (Quality 81.5, Cost 38.2), compared with the national average of 83.1.
Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician is a narrow specialty nationwide, with 1,608 enrolled providers across 50 states and an average of 196 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 | 1083857148 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician |
| Credentials | M.S., M.D. |
| Gender | Male |
| NPI Issued | 04/19/2009 |
Verify this provider's license
PlainDoctor pulls this profile from the CMS NPPES public registry. Confirm Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D.'s current license status, disciplinary history, and board certifications with the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice in Minnesota before relying on this page for a clinical or care decision.
How we sourced this profile
CMS Quality Score (MIPS)
Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores from CMS, 2023 performance year.
Reporting: Group practice
Hospital and facility affiliations
Facilities where Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., 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.
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 Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D.. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.
Total received
$55.6K
Largest payer
INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Most common payment type
Travel and Lodging
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 · Generic-heavy
6% brand-name claims vs 94% generic, on 233 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.
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 239
- Total Day Supply
- 1,158
- Brand vs Generic
- 6% brand / 94% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $5K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $3K
- Opioid Claims
- 23 (9.9% rate)
- Antibiotic Claims
- 92
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 71.4 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 1.76
- Gender Split
- 55% female / 45% male
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D. prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Metronidazole
Metronidazole
49 claims
- Neomycin Sulfate
Neomycin Sulfate
34 claims
- Ondansetron Hcl
Ondansetron Hcl
23 claims
- Ibuprofen 19
Ibuprofen
19 claims
- Oxycodone Hcl 13
Oxycodone Hcl
13 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Metronidazole | 49 |
| Neomycin Sulfate | 34 |
| Ondansetron Hcl | 23 |
| Ibuprofen | 19 |
| Oxycodone Hcl | 13 |
| Gavilyte-G "Peg3350/Sod Sulf | N/A |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician Overview
How Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D. fits within the Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician landscape nationally.
Wolfgang Gaertner, M.S., M.D.'s 233 claims are above the specialty average of 196.
Nearby Colon & Rectal Surgery Physician Providers in Minnesota
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Minnesota, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Gaertner.
Compare Colon & Rectal 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 Minnesota medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
- Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Colon & Rectal 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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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