Procedure Volume Patient Data Patient Conditions Reviews General Payments Back to Top

Home > MN Providers

Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD

Accepting New Patients

(137 Ratings)

Specializes in: Adult Pulmonology

University of Minnesota Medical School (2001)

Professional interests include: sleep apnea, interstitial lung disease, chronic illness, and more.

401 Phalen Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN 55130

(952) 967-7616

Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD is a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN specializing in adult pulmonology. He graduated from University of Minnesota Medical School in 2001 and has 25 years of experience. Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD is affiliated with GROUP HEALTH PLAN INC.

Office Locations

1500 Curve Crest Boulevard W
Stillwater, MN 55082

(651) 439-1234

open_in_new

401 Phalen Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN 55130

(952) 967-7616

open_in_new

Some issues Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD can help you with:

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung disease where the tissue and airways of the lungs become extremely sensitive to certain substances. When these substances are breathed in, the lungs become inflamed. The muscles around the airways tighten and squeeze the lungs, and passages within the lungs swell and tighten. The airways themselves produce mucus, which further clogs the tightened, swollen airways. A person having an asthma attack finds it very difficult to breathe, and a severe attack can even be fatal.

Asthma affects people of all ages, but people with asthma are most often diagnosed as children. Symptoms can include wheezing, a tight feeling in the chest, shortness of breath, and coughing. Some people have mild symptoms all the time, and some people have no symptoms at all, but everyone with asthma is susceptible to occasional severe attacks or flare-ups of symptoms when they are exposed to triggers. Triggers vary widely but can include:

Allergens (dust mites, pet fur, mold, pollen, grass)
Irritants (smoke, pollution, dust, chemicals)
Viral infections
Physical activity, especially outdoors
Certain medications or chemicals in foods (aspirin, sulfites)

Treatment for most asthma patients involves three steps. Patients learn what their asthma triggers are and avoid them. They take a daily control medication, usually an inhaled corticosteroid, to reduce inflammation in the lungs. Also, they have rescue medication with them at all times to take in case of a severe attack. These quick-acting inhaled medications relax the muscles around the airways and allow the lungs to open up for air.

There is no cure for asthma, but with treatment it should not interfere with daily life and activities.

Lung Issues

Every cell in the body requires oxygen to function and produces carbon dioxide as a waste product. In order to keep the body's tissues constantly supplied with fresh oxygen and to keep waste from building up, the lungs pump air in and out, even while sleeping or unaware. Unfortunately, diseases and disorders affecting the lungs are some of the most common medical problems afflicting people around the world. Some of the most common lung problems include asthma, COPD, pneumonia, and lung cancer.

Asthma is a chronic disease where swollen, inflamed airways make it hard to breathe. It is often brought on by specific triggers. While asthma is a common condition, affecting millions of people, it can also be serious and even fatal in severe cases. Treatment involves avoiding triggers and using inhaled corticosteroid medications.

COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is the name given to two illnesses that both cause difficulty breathing: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. In emphysema, the air sacs of the lungs become damaged, while with bronchitis they become clogged with mucus. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. It is almost always caused by breathing irritants into the lungs, such as smoking or heavy pollution.

Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by bacteria, a virus, or fungi. Most healthy people recover from pneumonia in a week or two, but for some people pneumonia can be fatal. There are treatments available for pneumonia, but the best treatment is to prevent getting sick in the first place. People who are at risk should make sure they get a flu shot every year. There is also a vaccine available for the type of bacteria that causes pneumonia.

Lung cancer occurs when abnormal cells inside the lung grow into a tumor, destroying healthy tissue. Because it is so difficult to detect lung cancer in early stages when it has few symptoms, it is the deadliest form of cancer, responsible for the most cancer deaths both in the U.S. and worldwide. Most lung cancer is caused by exposure to tobacco smoke, but between 10-15% of cases are not linked to smoking.

Some problems with the lungs are minor and are not cause for concern. However if symptoms have lasted for a month or more, even if they are minor, it is worth checking with a healthcare professional. A cough, shortness of breath, or excess mucus production that lingers for weeks are all worth getting looked at.

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 10%

By Affordability:

home sleep study

In 2023, Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD had a list price for home sleep study that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 90% of providers in related specialties within Minnesota. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Top 25%

By Affordability:

airway management

blood draw

blood draw for lab tests

cardiorespiratory sleep study

CPAP treatment

exhaled nitric oxide test

home cardiorespiratory sleep study

lung diffusion capacity test

phlebotomy for lab tests

pulmonary function test

sleep study

sleep study with CPAP

venipuncture

In 2012, Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD had a list price for airway management, blood draw, blood draw for lab tests, cardiorespiratory (type 3) sleep study, CPAP treatment, exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) test, home cardiorespiratory (type 3) sleep study, lung diffusion capacity test (DLCO), phlebotomy for lab tests, pulmonary function test (PFT), sleep study, sleep study with CPAP, and venipuncture (phlebotomy) that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 75% of providers in related specialties within Minnesota. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2012 were pulmonary testing, sleep study, airway management and blood draw.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	24
blood draw	11
doctor visit	126
pulmonary testing	45
sleep study	24

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2013 were pulmonary testing, sleep study and airway management.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	18
doctor visit	130
pulmonary testing	58
sleep study	31

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	65
Female	61

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	86
Black	19
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	40
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	69

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2013

Hypertension	54
High Cholesterol	40
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	44
Chronic Kidney Disease	22
Asthma	16
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	31
Diabetes	30
Dementia	0
Cancer	9

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2014 were sleep study, pulmonary testing and airway management.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	34
doctor visit	136
pulmonary testing	45
sleep study	52

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	87
Female	60

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	102
Black	24
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	48
From 75 to 84	21
85 and over	11
Less than 65	67

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2014

Hypertension	59
High Cholesterol	41
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	44
Depression	41
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	35
Diabetes	35
Dementia	7
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2015 were pulmonary testing, sleep study, airway management and blood draw.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	43
blood draw	13
doctor visit	129
pulmonary testing	83
sleep study	66

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	184
Female	198

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	276
Black	56
Hispanic	22
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	132
From 75 to 84	54
85 and over	28
Less than 65	168

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2015

Hypertension	63
High Cholesterol	54
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	47
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	32
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	24
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	37
Diabetes	37
Dementia	9
Cancer	11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2016 were pulmonary testing, sleep study, hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	67
blood draw	50
doctor visit	345
hospital care	73
inpatient care	73
pulmonary testing	252
sleep study	100

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	201
Female	233

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	361
Black	39
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	14
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	162
From 75 to 84	121
85 and over	33
Less than 65	118

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2016

Hypertension	63
High Cholesterol	43
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	42
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	19
Heart Failure	26
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	40
Diabetes	28
Dementia	8
Cancer	9

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2017 were pulmonary testing, sleep study, airway management and blood draw.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	83
blood draw	37
doctor visit	333
hospital care	13
inpatient care	13
preventive care	11
pulmonary testing	306
sleep study	114
vaccines	11

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	214
Female	204

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	368
Black	25
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	161
From 75 to 84	109
85 and over	35
Less than 65	113

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2017

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	40
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	35
Depression	35
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	16
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	19
Heart Failure	21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	42
Diabetes	26
Dementia	10
Cancer	11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2018 were pulmonary testing, sleep study, airway management and blood draw.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	57
blood draw	45
doctor visit	298
pulmonary testing	284
sleep study	69

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	172
Female	213

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	353
Black	12
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	170
From 75 to 84	102
85 and over	35
Less than 65	78

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2018

Hypertension	68
High Cholesterol	48
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	42
Depression	36
Chronic Kidney Disease	36
Asthma	17
Osteoperosis	6
Atrial Fibrilation	20
Heart Failure	24
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	43
Diabetes	32
Dementia	11
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2019 were pulmonary testing, sleep study, hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	55
blood draw	40
doctor visit	414
hospital care	72
inpatient care	72
preventive care	13
pulmonary testing	390
sleep study	111
vaccines	13

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	230
Female	303

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	475
Black	24
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	19
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	224
From 75 to 84	164
85 and over	59
Less than 65	86

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2019

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	49
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	32
Chronic Kidney Disease	32
Asthma	15
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	19
Heart Failure	26
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	43
Diabetes	28
Dementia	9
Cancer	12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2020 were pulmonary testing, hospital care, inpatient care and sleep study.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	33
blood draw	24
doctor visit	388
hospital care	89
inpatient care	89
pulmonary testing	278
sleep study	76

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	241
Female	256

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	455
Black	16
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	14
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	226
From 75 to 84	149
85 and over	44
Less than 65	78

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2020

Hypertension	58
High Cholesterol	43
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	37
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	19
Heart Failure	26
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	43
Diabetes	26
Dementia	7
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2021 were pulmonary testing, sleep study, hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	44
blood draw	33
doctor visit	323
hospital care	56
inpatient care	56
pulmonary testing	319
sleep study	81

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	192
Female	236

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	392
Black	12
Hispanic	0
Asian	11
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	193
From 75 to 84	132
85 and over	40
Less than 65	63

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2021

Hypertension	66
High Cholesterol	45
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	35
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	32
Asthma	18
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	21
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	39
Diabetes	24
Dementia	9
Cancer	12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN during 2022 were pulmonary testing, sleep study, hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

airway management	34
blood draw	28
doctor visit	289
hospital care	36
inpatient care	36
pulmonary testing	326
sleep study	71

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	165
Female	236

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	373
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	12
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	190
From 75 to 84	125
85 and over	36
Less than 65	50

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD in 2022

Hypertension	74
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	32
Chronic Kidney Disease	23
Asthma	24
Osteoperosis	16
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	42
Diabetes	27
Dementia	5
Cancer	17

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated as a pulmonologist in Stillwater, MN were pulmonary testing, sleep study, hospital care and inpatient care.

airway management	44
blood draw	31
doctor visit	264
hospital care	56
inpatient care	56
preventive care	12
pulmonary testing	216
sleep study	72
vaccines	12

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD.

**Gender**
Male	159
Female	181

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	20
Asian / Pacific Islander	1
Non-Hispanic White	294
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	2
Other	5

**Age**
75 to 84	88
85 and over	29
Less than 65	80
65 to 74	140

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and depression.

Hypertension	57
High Cholesterol	42
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	33
Depression	32
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	18
Osteoporosis	6
Heart Failure	21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	35
Diabetes	26
Atrial Fibrillation	16
Dementia	6
Cancer	10

Education & Training

Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD graduated from University of Minnesota Medical School in 2001. He completed residency at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine-Sleep Medicine and has a state license in Minnesota.

Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School (2001)

Residency: University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview (2004)

Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine-Sleep Medicine

Licensed In: Minnesota

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

GROUP HEALTH PLAN INC

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.73 out of 5 stars based on 137 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Stillwater, MN.

4.73

Overall Rating

(137 Ratings)

Leave a Review

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Nicholas H. Benson, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Inc	$249 Obstructive Sleep Apnea Device or Hospital Respiratory Equipment $249
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.	$39 Xyrem $39
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	$36 $36
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.	$34 NUCALA $34
Insmed, Inc.	$32 Arikayce $16	$16
Other	$47 Adempas $25	SedLine $12	$11

**Types of Payments**
Food and Beverage	$404
Education	$32

Biography

Dr. Nicholas Benson practices adult pulmonology. Dr. Benson's areas of expertise include the following: emphysema, sleep apnea, and asthma. He attended the University of Minnesota Medical School and subsequently trained at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview for residency. Patients rated him highly, giving him an average of 4.5 stars (out of 5). According to HealthPartners, Dr. Benson is currently accepting new patients at his office in Stillwater, MN.