NPI Compliance Deadline May Change

The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), a body that offers advice on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), is expected to recommend a six-month contingency plan that will effectively delay compliance with the national provider identifier (NPI) deadline of May 23, 2007.

The Administrative Simplification provisions of HIPAA mandated that physicians and other health care providers obtain and begin using an NPI by this date. The NPI will replace all Medicare and industry legacy billing numbers.

If a new deadline is announced, MSDC will post this information on its website. Please visit www.msdc.org frequently for updates.

Regardless, Prepare Now for a May 23, 2007 Deadline
If the current deadline remains in effect, you have less than three months to obtain and begin using your NPI. Failure to prepare could result in a disruption in cash flow.

All health care providers, including Medicare providers, should include their legacy identifiers on their NPI applications. If you have completed an application and did not submit a legacy identifier, you should go back and update your information. You can do so by going to https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov. You should also validate other data, such as address, contact information, etc., and update anything that has changed.

Once you receive your NPI, you should share it with other providers with whom you do business, and with health plans that request your NPI. You should also consider letting health plans, or institutions for whom you work, share your NPI on your behalf.

CLICK HERE for more details on the NPI, including how to obtain one and a list of frequently asked questions and answers.