Health care providers encouraged to get
new national identifier

Lt. Gen. (Dr.) George Peach Taylor Jr., Air Force surgeon general, applies for his National Provider Identifier. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Kimberly Novack )

By Master Sgt. Richard B. Searles
AF Surgeon General Public Affairs

WASHINGTON -- In an effort to improve electronic transactions for health care, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun the process of assigning a new provider identifier for use in standard electronic health care transactions.

The National Provider Identifier will be the single provider identifier, replacing the various provider identifiers currently being used for different systems and health plans.

"The goal of the NPI is to simplify the administration of the health care system and enable efficient electronic transmission of health information," said Susan Brockman, Air Force Medical Support Agency, and NPI point of contact for the Air Force.

The NPI will be used throughout the entire United States health care system to identify health care providers in HIPAA-covered standard electronic transactions.

With national standards and identifier in place for electronic claims and other transactions, health care providers will be able to submit transactions to any health plan in the United States.

"These national standards will make electronic data interchange a viable and preferable alternative to paper processing for health care providers and health plans alike," said Brockman. "Health plans will be able to send standard transactions such as referral authorizations to health care providers."

Providers required to obtain an NPI include all privileged providers, residents, and non-privileged providers if their work involves writing referrals, consults or providing billable services.

NPI on-line application system was developed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and is available at https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov. The National Plan and Provider Enumeration System began accepting and assigning applications May 23, 2005. All providers are required to obtain their NPI by May 23, 2007.