NPI Compliance Deadline Nears
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") recently announced that "getting an NPI is free--not getting one can be costly."
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") mandates the adoption of a standard unique identifier number system. In a January 2004 final rule, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services announced that HIPAA covered providers must obtain a National Provider Identifier ("NPI") by May 23, 2007. As of August 23, 2006, providers only have nine months to obtain their NPIs. Medicare will delay or reject claims submitted without an NPI after this compliance deadline. Small health providers have an additional year--until May 23, 2008--to obtain their NPIs.
Medicare will begin accepting NPIs starting October 1, 2006. CMS highly recommends, however, that providers submit both their legacy identifiers and their NPI on claims.
To obtain an NPI, visit https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov. Alternatively, call to request a paper application at 1-800-465-3203. Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application, as application processing could take several weeks or even months.
