CMS Releases National Provider Identifier Rule

[CAL/AAEM News Service]

--0-1101419778-1075741588=:95804
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii




-----Original Message-----

From: cma_alert@cmanews.org [mailto:cma_alert@cmanews.org] 

Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 2:58 PM

4. CMS Releases National Provider Identifier Rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week announced that the National Provider Identifier (NPI) will become the standard unique identifier for health care providers on May 23, 2007. This national provider identification system-mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)-will eliminate the need for physicians to keep track of and use multiple identification numbers assigned to them by health plans. Providers will still, however, need to provide their taxpayer identification number to plans for tax reporting purposes.

Providers who are not "covered entities" under HIPAA do not have to obtain an NPI, but they may do so if they wish. Physicians who are covered by HIPAA will need these identifiers to submit HIPAA-compliant claims.

There is nothing physicians can do to apply for NPIs at this time. The final rule governing NPIs, published January 23 in the Federal Register, establishes a timeline for implementation of this new national provider identification system. According to the rule, CMS will begin accepting NPI applications on May 23, 2005. Physicians will be required to use their assigned number in dealings with health plans and other business partners by May 23, 2007.

For more information, click here <http://www.calphys.org/html/bb486.asp>. Additional HIPAA information is available 

at in the California Physician HIPAA Help Center <http://www.calphys.org/html/hipaa_help.asp> .



Brian Potts 
Managing Editor, CAL/AAEM News Service 
MS-IV, UC-Irvine

---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it!
--0-1101419778-1075741588=:95804
Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii

<DIV><FONT size=2>
<P></P>
<P>-----Original Message-----</P>
<P>From: cma_alert@cmanews.org [</FONT><A href="mailto:cma_alert@cmanews.org"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>mailto:cma_alert@cmanews.org</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>] </P>
<P>Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 2:58 PM</P>
<P>4. CMS Releases National Provider Identifier Rule</P>
<P>The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) last week announced that the National Provider Identifier (NPI) will become the standard unique identifier for health care providers on May 23, 2007. This national provider identification system-mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)-will eliminate the need for physicians to keep track of and use multiple identification numbers assigned to them by health plans. Providers will still, however, need to provide their taxpayer identification number to plans for tax reporting purposes.</P>
<P>Providers who are not "covered entities" under HIPAA do not have to obtain an NPI, but they may do so if they wish. Physicians who are covered by HIPAA will need these identifiers to submit HIPAA-compliant claims.</P>
<P>There is nothing physicians can do to apply for NPIs at this time. The final rule governing NPIs, published January 23 in the Federal Register, establishes a timeline for implementation of this new national provider identification system. According to the rule, CMS will begin accepting NPI applications on May 23, 2005. Physicians will be required to use their assigned number in dealings with health plans and other business partners by May 23, 2007.</P>
<P>For more information, click here &lt;</FONT><A href="http://www.calphys.org/html/bb486.asp"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>http://www.calphys.org/html/bb486.asp</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>&gt;. Additional HIPAA information is available </P>
<P>at in the California Physician HIPAA Help Center &lt;</FONT><A href="http://www.calphys.org/html/hipaa_help.asp"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>http://www.calphys.org/html/hipaa_help.asp</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>&gt; .</P></FONT></DIV><BR><BR><STRONG>Brian Potts <BR>Managing Editor, CAL/AAEM News Service</STRONG> <BR>MS-IV, UC-Irvine<p><hr SIZE=1>
Do you Yahoo!?<br>
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=21608/*http://webhosting.yahoo.com/ps/sb/"><b>Try it!</b></a>
--0-1101419778-1075741588=:95804--