Joel C. Kunze, P.A.
NPI 1265418586ActiveIndividual· Physician Assistant· Hickory, NC
Physician Assistant (P.A.) in Hickory, North Carolina, trained at Wake Forest University School of Medicine (class of 1996). Their prescriptions cost Medicare Part D more than their services did: $529,012 for 6,221 claims, against $106,002 paid for services in 2024. Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals LP was the largest of 30 companies reporting payments in 2025, $2,497 in all, mostly food and beverage.
Overview
| NPI | 1265418586 |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Entity type | Individual |
| Credential | P.A. |
| Sole proprietor | No |
| NPI issued | Dec 19, 2005 |
| Last updated in NPPES | Aug 5, 2016 |
Specialties and licenses
| Taxonomy | Code | License | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician Assistant Primary | 363A00000X | 102190 | NC |
Exclusion screening
| List | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| HHS-OIG LEIE · Nov 10, 2026 | No match | Checked by NPI and by name + state |
| North Carolina Medicaid · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| New York OMIG · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Ohio Medicaid · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Pennsylvania Medicheck · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Washington HCA · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
Official OIG search · How matching works ·Bulk check a roster
Medicare
| Enrollment (PECOS) | Enrolled Practitioner - Physician Assistant (NC) |
|---|---|
| Accepts assignment | Yes (participating) |
Medicare services in 2024
| Medicare patients | 311 |
|---|---|
| Services billed | 2,570 across 53 procedure codes |
| Paid by Medicare | $106,002 |
Part D prescriptions in 2024
| Prescriptions (claims) | 6,221 · 11,458 30-day fills |
|---|---|
| Patients | 728 |
| Total drug cost | $529,012 |
| Generic share | 87% of claims |
Education and affiliations
| Medical school | Wake Forest University School of Medicine |
|---|---|
| Graduation year | 1996 |
| Medicare specialty | Physician Assistant |
Medical groups
- Desantis Family PracticeHickory, NC · 4 clinicians
- Michael Christopher Desantis MDHickory, NC · 3 clinicians
Hospital affiliations
- Catawba Valley Medical CenterHickory, NC
- Frye Regional Medical CenterHickory, NC
Other facilities
- Centerwell Home HealthHome health agency · Hickory, NC
Industry payments (Open Payments)
- 2025$2,497 · 135 payments from 30 companies
- 2024$1,760 · 109 payments from 27 companies
Top paying companies in 2025
| Company | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | $674.20 | 22 |
| Abbvie Inc. | $241.90 | 23 |
| Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. | $215.57 | 7 |
| Glaxosmithkline, LLC. | $169.38 | 8 |
| Pfizer Inc. | $156.08 | 10 |
What the 2025 payments were for
- Food and Beverage$2,497 · 135 payments
Receiving payments does not imply wrongdoing. What Open Payments covers ·original records
Other Physician Assistant providers in Hickory
- 1578634648
- 1114817822
- 1518242189
- 1235510009
- 1649027863
- 1477339224
- 1275587255
- 1073569224
- 1467151035
- 1306083639
- 1134224371
- 1760190201