DR. CHRISTOPHER BUCKINGHAM BALLOU M.D.
NPI 1659400943
Hospitalist in Columbia, SC

Active since March 05, 2007PECOS EnrolledAccepts Medicare Assignment
14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320, COLUMBIA, SC 29203(803) 434-6771(803) 434-3955 Get Directions Write a Review

NPPES record last updated: August 5, 2025. Verified against the NPPES registry weekly; last sync: August 23, 2026.

Record update history: Aug 5, 2025, Dec 6, 2022, Jan 18, 2022 and 4 more (7 updates tracked since 2016).

About Dr. Christopher Buckingham Ballou M.d. NPPES

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

DR. CHRISTOPHER BUCKINGHAM BALLOU M.D. (NPI 1659400943) is an individual hospitalist provider in Columbia, South Carolina, licensed in South Carolina (27974) and active in the NPI registry since March 2007. He is enrolled in Medicare PECOS, is affiliated with Prisma Health Baptist, and is a graduate of University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine (2005).

NPPES Registry Identity

NPI1659400943
Entity TypeIndividualMale
Primary Taxonomy208M00000X
Provider Legal NameDR. CHRISTOPHER BUCKINGHAM BALLOUCredential: M.D.
Location Address14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320Columbia, SC 29203-6896
Mailing Address300 E Mcbee Ave Fl 4Greenville, SC 29601-2842 · (864) 695-6697
Fax(803) 434-3955
Sole ProprietorNo
Medical School CMSUniversity Of South Carolina School Of MedicineGraduated 2005
Enumeration DateMarch 5, 2007
Last NPPES UpdateAugust 5, 20257 updates tracked since enumeration
NPPES CertifiedAugust 5, 2025
NPI 1659400943 is a valid, active identifier and passes the ISO check-digit test.

Specialties & Licenses 3

Primary SpecialtyHospitalistAllopathic & Osteopathic Physicians
Taxonomy Code208M00000X
License Licensed in SC · 27974
Definition
Hospitalists are physicians whose primary professional focus is the general medical care of hospitalized patients. Their activities include patient care, teaching, research, and leadership related to Hospital Medicine. The term 'hospitalist' refers to physicians whose practice emphasizes providing care for hospitalized patients.
Also ListedInternal MedicineTaxonomy 207R00000X · License 27974 (SC)
Also ListedPediatricsTaxonomy 208000000X · License 27974 (SC)
14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320, Columbia, SC 29203

Other Identifiers 1

Medicaid279745SC

Accepted Insurance

Medicare Participation & PECOS CMS

Medicare enrollment, assignment, and ordering and referring status from the CMS PECOS system.

Medicare Enrollment Status

Enrolled in Medicare and accepts Medicare assignment

Dr. Christopher Buckingham Ballou M.d. 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 ID9335291863
PECOS Enrollment IDI20090715000135
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.

Hospital Affiliations CMS Care Compare

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

Prisma Health Baptist

Acute Care Hospitals · Columbia, SC
4/5 CMS rating
OwnershipVoluntary non-profit - Private
CMS Certification Number420086
Location1330 Taylor At Marion StColumbia, SC 29220 · Richland County
Emergency services Birthing friendly

Physician Visit Costs CMS claims · ZIP area

Typical Medicare office-visit costs in the 29203 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
$124.04 typical visit price
range $53.57 – $163.84
Typical copayment $31.01 (range $13.39 – $40.96)
Most-billed visit code 99204
Established Patient
$95.12 typical visit price
range $16.96 – $133.52
Typical copayment $23.78 (range $4.24 – $33.38)
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.

Medicare Quality Performance CMS QPP · MIPS

Performance in the CMS Quality Payment Program: the MIPS final score across four weighted categories, and the individual quality measures reported to Medicare.

Reported Quality Measures

Adult Sinusitis: Antibiotic Prescribed for Acute Viral Sinusitis (Overuse)
Percentage of patients, aged 18 years and older, with a diagnosis of acute viral sinusitis who were prescribed an antibiotic within 10 days after onset of symptoms
Lower rates are better for this measure.
85%33 patients1/55-star benchmark: 100%
Adult Sinusitis: Computerized Tomography (CT) for Acute Sinusitis (Overuse)
Percentage of patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of acute sinusitis who had a computerized tomography (CT) scan of the paranasal sinuses ordered at the time of diagnosis or received within 28 days after date of diagnosis
Lower rates are better for this measure.
0%29 patients
Breast Cancer Screening
Percentage of women 50-74 years of age who had a mammogram to screen for breast cancer
50%278 patients3/55-star benchmark: 92%
Care Plan
Percentage of patients aged 65 years and older who have an advance care plan or surrogate decision maker documented in the medical record that an advance care plan was discussed but the patient did not wish or was not able to name a surrogate decision maker…
72%362 patients3/55-star benchmark: 100%
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Percentage of adults 50-75 years of age who had appropriate screening for colorectal cancer
74%535 patients4/55-star benchmark: 85%
Diabetes: Eye Exam
Percentage of patients 18-75 years of age with diabetes who had a retinal or dilated eye exam by an eye care professional during the measurement period or a negative retinal exam (no evidence of retinopathy) in the 12 months prior to the measurement period
17%172 patients1/55-star benchmark: 100%
e-Prescribing
At least one permissible prescription written by the MIPS eligible clinician is queried for a drug formulary and transmitted electronically using certified EHR technology.
95%5,981 patients4/55-star benchmark: 99%
Health Information Exchange
The MIPS eligible clinician that transitions or refers their patient to another setting of care or health care clinician (1) uses CEHRT to create a summary of care record; and (2) electronically transmits such summary to a receiving health care clinician for…
55%839 patients3/55-star benchmark: 88%
Medication Reconciliation
The MIPS eligible clinician performs medication reconciliation for at least one transition of care in which the patient is transitioned into the care of the MIPS eligible clinician.
100%262 patients5/55-star benchmark: 100%
Patient-Specific Education
The MIPS eligible clinician must use clinically relevant information from CEHRT to identify patient-specific educational resources and provide access to those materials to at least one unique patient seen by the MIPS eligible clinician.
97%992 patients5/55-star benchmark: 97%
Pneumococcal Vaccination Status for Older Adults
Percentage of patients 65 years of age and older who have ever received a pneumococcal vaccine
80%313 patients4/55-star benchmark: 90%
Preventive Care and Screening: Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up Plan
Percentage of patients aged 18 years and older with a BMI documented during the current encounter or during the previous twelve months AND with a BMI outside of normal parameters, a follow-up plan is documented during the encounter or during the previous…
82%989 patients4/55-star benchmark: 97%
Preventive Care and Screening: Influenza Immunization
Percentage of patients aged 6 months and older seen for a visit between October 1 and March 31 who received an influenza immunization OR who reported previous receipt of an influenza immunization
36%1,043 patients2/55-star benchmark: 88%
Preventive Care and Screening: Tobacco Use: Screening and Cessation Intervention
Percentage of patients aged 18 years and older who were screened for tobacco use one or more times within 24 months AND who received tobacco cessation intervention if identified as a tobacco user
Patients screenedForUse: 97% · 856 patients
Patients tobacco: 50% · 78 patients
91%856 patients4/55-star benchmark: 98%
Provide Patient Access
At least one patient seen by the MIPS eligible clinician during the performance period is provided timely access to view online, download, and transmit to a third party their health information subject to the MIPS eligible clinician's discretion to withhold…
82%992 patients4/55-star benchmark: 100%
Secure Messaging
For at least one unique patient seen by the MIPS eligible clinician during the performance period, a secure message was sent using the electronic messaging function of CEHRT to the patient (or the patient-authorized representative), or in response to a secure…
67%992 patients4/55-star benchmark: 89%
View, Download, or Transmit (VDT)
At least one patient seen by the MIPS eligible clinician during the performance period (or patient-authorized representative) views, downloads or transmits their health information to a third party during the performance period.
58%992 patients
Providers report different measures because they deliver different services; reporting more or less information is not a reflection of quality. Star ratings appear only where CMS assigned them.

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.

Internal Medicine
14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320
COLUMBIA, SC 29203
Nurse Practitioner
14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320
COLUMBIA, SC 29203
Hospitalist
14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320
COLUMBIA, SC 29203
Pediatrics
14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320
COLUMBIA, SC 29203
Nurse Practitioner (Acute Care)
14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320
COLUMBIA, SC 29203
Emergency Medicine
14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320
COLUMBIA, SC 29203
Hospitalist
14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320
COLUMBIA, SC 29203
Family Medicine
14 RICHLAND MEDICAL PARK DR STE 320
COLUMBIA, SC 29203

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 Christopher Ballou's NPI number?

The NPI number for Christopher Ballou is 1659400943. It was assigned to this individual provider in the NPPES registry on March 5, 2007.

Where is Christopher Ballou located?

Christopher Ballou practices at 14 Richland Medical Park Dr Ste 320, Columbia, SC 29203. The listed phone number is (803) 434-6771.

What is Christopher Ballou's specialty?

The primary specialty registered for this NPI is Hospitalist with taxonomy code 208M00000X.

Is Christopher Ballou enrolled in Medicare?

Yes. Christopher Ballou 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.

What insurance does Christopher Ballou accept?

Health plans from First Choice Next list Christopher Ballou 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 Christopher Ballou affiliated with any hospitals?

According to CMS data, Christopher Ballou is affiliated with Prisma Health Baptist.

When was this NPI record last updated?

The NPPES record for Christopher Ballou was last updated on August 5, 2025. NPI Profile syncs weekly with the NPPES registry data releases published by CMS. This NPI record was last updated 12 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.