Are NPI numbers public?

Yes. NPI numbers are public federal identifiers in CMS NPPES. This page shows the public NPPES facts Fonteum has for NPI 1609896117: provider name, entity type, taxonomy, practice location, enumeration date, last-updated date, and source snapshot date. It does not include patient information.

What does the NPI record show for Claude Nichols?

Claude Nichols (NPI 1609896117) appears in CMS NPPES as orthopedic surgeon in Colchester, VT. NPPES is administrative identity data submitted to CMS by providers and organizations; this page displays the source snapshot date as 2026-05-06.

Does this page assign a provider score?

No derived score is assigned on this provider page. NPPES is an identity registry; when a CMS QPP MIPS value is available, Fonteum displays that public CMS value with its source, and absence of a MIPS value is not a quality signal.

Does no exclusion match amount to a clearance?

Coverage is indeterminate, so this page makes no negative exclusion determination. This is not a clearance; check the current issuing-agency lists.

Where does the provider data come from?

The identity fields come from CMS NPPES. Additional sections appear only when a public source has a matching row, such as CMS PECOS, CMS Open Payments, Medicare Part D, CMS QPP MIPS, OIG LEIE, or state Medicaid exclusion lists. Source and date metadata appears where the response supplies it; unavailable dates are labeled.

Claude Nichols — NPI 1609896117: exclusion status

Name: Provider record — NPI 1609896117 (Claude Nichols)
Creator: Fonteum
License: https://www.usa.gov/government-works

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Claude Nichols — NPI 1609896117: exclusion status — Fonteum

Cross-source identity

Sources that publish this NPI

National Provider Identifier 1609896117 appears in the source rows shown below. Sources that do not publish NPI use their own identifiers and are not treated as deterministic NPI matches. Chips show response-supplied dates when available; otherwise they are labeled date unavailable.

NPPES

Federal sources carrying NPI 1609896117
Federal source	Key	What it provides	Source & date
CMS NPPES	NPI 1609896117	Registry identity — orthopedic surgeon, taxonomy 207X00000X	Source:CMS NPPESSnapshot 2026-05-06
CMS Medicare Part D	NPI 1609896117	1 drugs prescribed, 2024	Source:CMS Part DSnapshot DY2024

Prescribing

Medicare Part D prescribing

Prescriptions written under Medicare Part D, aggregated by drug across the program. Totals reflect claims paid, not patients treated.

Part D claims

$27

Total drug cost

Distinct drugs

—

Beneficiaries (≥)

Highest-cost drugs prescribed
Drug	Claims	Drug cost
Meloxicam	14	$27

Beneficiary counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS — the total shown is a lower bound.

Source:CMS Medicare Part DSnapshot DY2024

Claude Nichols

Public NPPES answers

Are NPI numbers public?

What does the NPI record show for Claude Nichols?

Does this page assign a provider score?

Does no exclusion match amount to a clearance?

Where does the provider data come from?

Sources that publish this NPI

Medicare Part D prescribing

MIPS quality score

Standing

Who owns, operates, or is affiliated with this provider

Retained versions for this record

Claude Nichols

Public NPPES answers

Are NPI numbers public?

What does the NPI record show for Claude Nichols?

Compliance posture

Does this page assign a provider score?

Does no exclusion match amount to a clearance?

Where does the provider data come from?

Sources that publish this NPI

Medicare Part D prescribing

MIPS quality score

Standing

Who owns, operates, or is affiliated with this provider

Retained versions for this record

Context for this record