The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it has adopted the National Provider Identifier (NPI) as the standard unique health identifier for healthcare providers to use in filing and processing healthcare claims and other transactions, according to the agency.
The NPI is a new number that will be issued through the National Provider System, which is being developed by CMS. The NPI will replace all legacy identifiers that are currently being used, CMS said. The standard unique identifier is mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
All covered healthcare providers must obtain an NPI. Healthcare providers are considered covered entities if they transmit any data in electronic form in connection with a transaction for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services has adopted a standard, said CMS.
The final rule will be published in the Federal Register today, and the effective date of the rule will be May 23, 2005. The compliance date for all but small health plans is May 23, 2007. The compliance date for small health plans is May 23, 2008.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersJanuary 23, 2004
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