Where can I find information about the National Provider Identifier Standard (NPI) that Medicare is implementing?

Answer:

If you are a health care provider who bills for services, you probably need an NPI, National Provider Identifier. If you bill Medicare for services, you definitely need an NPI! Getting an NPI is easy and free. The first step is to get your NPI. Once you obtain your NPI, it is estimated that it will take 120 days to do the remaining work to use it. This includes working on your internal billing systems, coordinating with billing services, vendors, and clearinghouses, testing with payers.

As outlined in the Federal Regulation, (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)) you must also share your NPI with other providers, health plans, clearinghouses, and any entity that may need it for billing purposes. If you delay applying for your NPI, you risk your cash flow and that of your health care partners as well.

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Last Updated: 5/8/2008