National Provider Identifier (NPI)

The NPI is a random 10-didgit number issued by the federal government to both individual health care providers and provider organizations, including group physician practices. Health care providers covered by HIPAA are required to use their unique NPI numbers when conducting standard electronic transactions with health plans, such as claims submissions, eligibility verifications, and claims status inquiries. Many health plans also require health care providers to use the NPI for paper based transactions. Additionally, the NPI number of another provider is sometimes required to complete certain transactions. For example, a provider may need to include the NPI number of a referring physician when submitting an electronic claim.

Resources

NPI Application (cms.hhs.gov)

NPI Registry - Search for an Individual or Group NPI (cms.hhs.gov)

CMS National Provider Identifier Overview (cms.hhs.gov)