Dr. Gary R. Schafer, MD
Pulmonology (Pulmonary Disease Physician)
- Medicare participating
At a glance
- Years since graduation
- 40
- In the NPI registry since
- 2006
- Medicare patients seen, 2024
- 832
The NPI date is when this clinician registered for a National Provider Identifier, the billing number used on health claims. It is not a license, graduation or board-certification date. NPIs were first issued in May 2005 and became required on claims in 2007–2008, so an early date usually means the clinician was already in practice before then. What an NPI is
Education and training
- 2006Registered with an NPI (national billing number; not a license date) — NPIs began in 2005, so practice likely started earlier
Medicare’s Care Compare data doesn’t list this clinician’s medical school. Undergraduate school, residency, fellowship, licensing exams and board certification aren’t in public federal data. Board certification can be confirmed with the certifying board (ABMS member boards for MDs, AOA boards for DOs).
Specialties and state licenses
-
Pulmonary Disease Physician primary
NC license 36033 -
Critical Care Medicine (Internal Medicine) Physician
NC license 36033 -
Internal Medicine Physician
NC license 36033 -
Sleep Medicine (Internal Medicine) Physician
NC license 36033
As reported to the NPI registry. To confirm a license is current, check the state medical board.
Where they work
Hospitals
- Carolinas Medical Center/behav Health Charlotte, NC
- Atrium Health Cleveland Shelby, NC
- Advent Health Polk Columbus, NC
- Rutherford Regional Medical Center Rutherfordton, NC
Medical groups
- Carolinas Physicians Network Inc (2,325 clinicians)
Hospitals this clinician lists with Medicare, and groups they bill Medicare through (Care Compare). Affiliation doesn’t mean they see patients at every location.
Medicare patients and services
- Medicare patients, 2024
- 832
- Services billed
- 3,608
- Patients’ average age
- 73
| Service | Times | Patients |
|---|---|---|
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes | 1,007 | 700 |
| New patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-44 minutes | 86 | 86 |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes | 72 | 69 |
| Sleep study in sleep lab (6 years or older) | 53 | 50 |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 10-19 minutes | 50 | 43 |
| New patient office or other outpatient visit, 45-59 minutes | 49 | 49 |
| Sleep study in sleep lab with continuous airway pressure (6 years or older) | 44 | 44 |
| Test to measure lung airway sensitivity | 32 | 32 |
| Administration of influenza virus vaccine | 15 | 15 |
| Influenza vaccine split virus, preservative free | 15 | 15 |
Medicare fee-for-service only. CMS leaves out services billed for fewer than 11 patients. These figures describe a practice’s Medicare work; they aren’t a measure of quality.
Medicare prescriptions
| Drug | Prescriptions |
|---|---|
| Trelegy Ellipta (fluticasone/umeclidin/vilanter) Other prescribers in Forest City, NC | 1,703 |
| Azithromycin Other prescribers in Forest City, NC | 1,443 |
| Breo Ellipta (fluticasone/vilanterol) Other prescribers in Forest City, NC | 998 |
| Albuterol Sulfate Hfa (albuterol sulfate) Other prescribers in Forest City, NC | 969 |
| Montelukast Sodium Other prescribers in Forest City, NC | 927 |
| Prednisone Other prescribers in Forest City, NC | 439 |
| Doxycycline Hyclate Other prescribers in Forest City, NC | 225 |
| Anoro Ellipta (umeclidinium brm/vilanterol tr) Other prescribers in Forest City, NC | 184 |
| Fluticasone-Salmeterol (fluticasone propion/salmeterol) Other prescribers in Forest City, NC | 175 |
| Ventolin Hfa (albuterol sulfate) Other prescribers in Forest City, NC | 155 |
Prescriptions filled under Medicare Part D, including refills. CMS leaves out drugs prescribed fewer than 11 times.
Payments from drug and device companies
In 2025, 2 companies reported 2 payments worth $33.91 in total to this clinician.
| AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | $17.67 |
|---|---|
| Insmed, Inc. | $16.24 |
| Food and Beverage | $17.67 |
|---|---|
| Education | $16.24 |
What the payments were for
| Company | What it was for | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Insmed, Inc. Jan 30, 2025 | Education Arikayce · Respiratory · in-kind | $16.24 |
Each payment as the company reported it, with the products it named. Meals are counted in the totals above but not listed one by one.
From CMS Open Payments. A payment is not evidence of wrongdoing; many are for consulting, teaching or meals. Clinicians can review and dispute their records with CMS.