What is an NPI?
An NPI number, known as a National Provider Identifier, is a unique identification number issued to each healthcare provider and organization in the United States.
In 1996, as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, NPIs were implemented to increase electronic health records (HIPPA).
NPI’s are used to manage payment claims and financial and administrative transactions through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other health care plans and health care clearinghouses.
What is the Purpose of an NPI?
The CMS is taking steps with the NPI to facilitate electronic transactions in health care. It simplifies the procedures and reduces the logistical burden on health care providers by providing a national standard for electronic health care transactions.
Before the NPI, identification numbers were allocated to health care services and providers by a health plan (Federal programs such as Medicare, State Medicaid program, or private health plans).
The identification numbers were not standardized, resulting in numerous identification numbers provided by the different health plans for which a provider was enrolled being issued by a single provider.
This complicated the insurer’s claim submission procedures and led to the various insurance plans giving the same identification number to multiple health care providers.
The NPI Final Rule established a standard for a unique health identifier for health care providers to use in the health care system. When transmitting any health information in an electronic form in conjunction with a transaction, providers must use their NPI number.
How to find the physician ID number?
To find a physician ID number, there are several ways to execute an NPI lookup. The NPPES NPI registry is the official NPI lookup website. The quest can originate either with an NPI number or a name.
The search result includes the number of the NPI, the provider’s first and last name, the type of NPI indicated with icons, the address of the primary practice, the telephone, and the primary taxonomy. This free search is available to anyone.