National Provider Identifier Standard (NPI)

CMS CLARIFIES GUIDELINES FOR NATIONAL PROVIDER IDENTIFIER (NPI) DEADLINE IMPLEMENTATION

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is implementing a contingency plan for covered entities (other than small health plans) who will not meet the May 23, 2007, deadline for compliance with the National Provider Identifier (NPI) regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.

NPI Tip

When applying for your NPI, CMS urges you to include your legacy identifiers, not only for Medicare but for all payors. If reporting a Medicaid number, include the associated State name. This information is critical for payors in the development of crosswalks to aid in the transition to the NPI.

Get It. Share It. Use It.

If you are a health care provider who bills for services, you probably need an NPI.  If you bill Medicare for services, you definitely need an NPI! Getting an NPI is easy. Getting an NPI is 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 their 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.  

Getting an NPI is free - Not Having One Can Be Costly.

Note: The above was copied from the HHS government website.

To Apply for a National Provider Identifier, click on the link below

 To go to the Government NPI Website, click on the link below.

Use the following Taxonomy Code:

 246ZC0007X 

Level III Area of Specialization

Certified First Assistant
As defined by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the surgical first assistant provides aid in exposure, hemostasis, and other technical functions that will help the surgeon carry out a safe operation with optimal results for the patient. These functions include, but are not limited to, positioning of the patient, suturing, and closure of body planes and skin, and the application of wound dressings.

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Last modified: February 22, 2008