1. Home
  2. Directory
  3. North Carolina
  4. Hickory
  5. Nurse Practitioner
  6. NPI Profile

MRS. LAUREN K HIPSHEAR WARD FNP-C
NPI 1528882610
Nurse Practitioner - Family in Hickory, NC

Active since November 14, 2024PECOS EnrolledAccepts Medicare Assignment
420 N CENTER ST, HICKORY, NC 28601(828) 315-5000 Get Directions Write a Review

NPPES record last updated: November 14, 2024. Verified against the NPPES registry weekly; last sync: October 25, 2026.

About Mrs. Lauren K Hipshear Ward Fnp-c NPPES

Official registry information on file with the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System.

MRS. LAUREN K HIPSHEAR WARD FNP-C (NPI 1528882610) is an individual family provider in Hickory, North Carolina, licensed in North Carolina (5021174) and active in the NPI registry since November 2024. She is enrolled in Medicare PECOS, is affiliated with Frye Regional Medical Center, and maintains a secondary practice location in Hickory.

NPPES Registry Identity

NPI1528882610
Entity TypeIndividualFemale
Primary Taxonomy363LF0000X
Provider Legal NameMRS. LAUREN K HIPSHEAR WARDCredential: FNP-C
Location Address420 N CENTER STHickory, NC 28601-5033
Mailing Address133 Oakdale DrMorganton, NC 28655-9658 · (574) 993-6591
Phone(828) 315-5000
Sole ProprietorNo
Medical School CMSOtherGraduated 2024
Enumeration DateNovember 14, 2024
NPPES CertifiedNovember 14, 2024
✔ NPI 1528882610 is a valid, active identifier and passes the ISO check-digit test.

Specialties & Licenses

★ Primary SpecialtyNurse Practitioner · FamilyPhysician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers
Taxonomy Code363LF0000X
License✔ Licensed in NC · 5021174
420 N CENTER ST, Hickory, NC 28601
Open in Google Maps ↗

Secondary Practice Location 1

Location 1415 N Center St Ste 102Hickory, NC 28601-5036 · Phone (828) 322-2005

Accepted Insurance

The full list of accepted plans is on the Insurance tab. Issuers include Ambetter from Absolute Total Care, Ambetter Health, Ambetter of North Carolina and more.Insurance ›

Medicare Participation & PECOS CMS

Medicare enrollment, assignment, billing reassignment, and ordering and referring status from CMS.

Medicare Enrollment Status

✔

Enrolled in Medicare and accepts Medicare assignment

Mrs. Lauren K Hipshear Ward Fnp-c is registered in PECOS and agrees to accept the Medicare-approved amount as full payment. Medicare patients are not billed beyond the standard deductible and coinsurance.

PECOS PAC ID2466980693
PECOS Enrollment IDI20250115001527
Eligible to Order & Refer✔ Part B Labs & Imaging✔ Durable Medical Equipment✔ Home Health Agency✔ Power Mobility DevicesPer the CMS Ordering and Referring file. Eligibility means Medicare pays claims that this provider orders or refers for these categories.

Medicare Billing Reassignment

Medicare enrollment records show Lauren Ward reassigns Medicare billing to 1 organization. The organization bills Medicare for the services this provider delivers there.

Dlp Frye Medical Group LLC
0.1 mi
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
415 N CENTER ST
Hickory, NC 28601
  • Reassigned Medicare billing, North Carolina enrollment
  • 228 clinicians in this Medicare group
NPI 1356865067 (828) 323-8281

Source: CMS Revalidation Reassignment List, October 2026 release. Reassignment records can lag staffing changes; confirm a current affiliation with the organization.

Hospital Affiliations CMS Care Compare

Hospitals where this provider delivers care, identified from recent Medicare claims and place-of-service records.

Frye Regional Medical Center

Acute Care Hospitals · Hickory, NC
1/5 CMS rating
OwnershipProprietary
CMS Certification Number340116
Location420 N Center StHickory, NC 28601 · Catawba County
Emergency services Birthing friendly

Physician Visit Costs CMS claims · ZIP area

Typical Medicare office-visit costs in the 28601 ZIP code area, from fee-for-service claims. These are area statistics, not this provider’s prices; actual charges vary by service and coverage.

New Patient
$83.90 typical visit price
range $54.12 – $165.09
Typical copayment $20.97 (range $13.53 – $41.27)
Most-billed visit code 99203
Established Patient
$95.94 typical visit price
range $17.21 – $134.61
Typical copayment $23.98 (range $4.30 – $33.65)
Most-billed visit code 99214
Amounts reflect what Medicare beneficiaries in this ZIP area are typically charged for office visits. Patients with other coverage should check their individual plans.

Other Providers at the Same Location NPPES 20

Providers registered at the same practice address, or within the immediate area, according to the NPPES registry.

BINITA DAHAL
Internal Medicine
420 N CENTER ST
HICKORY, NC 28601
Catawba County (828) 315-3360
FRYE GROUP SERVICES, PLLC
Hospitalist
420 N CENTER ST
HICKORY, NC 28601
Catawba County (828) 315-5000
MR. HUNTER ATKINSON HARDAWAY PA-C
Physician Assistant
420 N CENTER ST
HICKORY, NC 28601
Catawba County (828) 315-5000
KEVIN R CLARK DO
General Practice
420 N CENTER ST
HICKORY, NC 28601
Catawba County (843) 237-3378
AARON J BRAUNSTEINER MD
Emergency Medicine
420 N CENTER ST
HICKORY, NC 28601
Catawba County (828) 315-5000
GASTONIA PHYSICIAN SERVICES, PLLC
Emergency Medicine
420 N CENTER ST
HICKORY, NC 28601
Catawba County (828) 315-5000
SHANA BARKES MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
420 N CENTER ST
HICKORY, NC 28601
Catawba County (828) 315-5000
FRANK C SMEEKS III MD
Emergency Medicine
420 N CENTER ST
HICKORY, NC 28601
Catawba County (828) 315-3199

Frequently Asked Questions NPPES & CMS

Common questions about this NPI record, answered from the official NPPES registry and CMS datasets shown on this page.

What is Lauren Ward's NPI number?

The NPI number for Lauren Ward is 1528882610. It was assigned to this individual provider in the NPPES registry on November 14, 2024.

Where is Lauren Ward located?

Lauren Ward practices at 420 N Center St, Hickory, NC 28601. The listed phone number is (828) 315-5000.

What is Lauren Ward's specialty?

The primary specialty registered for this NPI is Nurse Practitioner, specializing in Family, with taxonomy code 363LF0000X.

Is Lauren Ward enrolled in Medicare?

Yes. Lauren Ward is registered in the Medicare PECOS system and accepts Medicare assignment, which means accepting the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full for covered services.

Which organization bills Medicare for Lauren Ward's services?

According to the CMS Revalidation Reassignment List (October 2026 release), Lauren Ward reassigns Medicare benefits to Dlp Frye Medical Group LLC (Hickory, NC). The reassignment is filed with Medicare on form CMS-855R, signed by both the clinician and the organization, and lets the organization bill Medicare and receive payment for Lauren Ward's services. Reassignment records can lag staffing changes; confirm current arrangements with the organization.

What insurance does Lauren Ward accept?

Health plans from Ambetter Health, Ambetter from Absolute Total Care, Ambetter of North Carolina, Ambetter of Tennessee and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC and 1 other insurer list Lauren Ward as in-network in at least one marketplace plan. Coverage varies by plan and year; verify with the insurer or the provider before a visit.

Is Lauren Ward affiliated with any hospitals?

According to CMS data, Lauren Ward is affiliated with Frye Regional Medical Center.

When was this NPI record last updated?

The NPPES record for Lauren Ward was last updated on November 14, 2024. NPI Profile syncs weekly with the NPPES registry data releases published by CMS. This NPI record was last updated 23 months ago. If this record has changed at CMS more recently, you can request an on-demand re-check against the live CMS registry, directly from this page.