What is a National Provider Identifier (NPI)?
Is a health care provider required to obtain an NPI?
Why do health care providers need NPIs?
How can health care providers obtain an NPI?
How many NPIs do health care providers need?
How can hospitals notify IBC of their NPIs?
What is my Primary Provider Taxonomy Code?
How long will it take to receive an NPI?
How can health care providers report NPIs to Independence Blue Cross (IBC)?
Where can I obtain additional information on the National Provider Identifier?
Where are the IBC billing instructions and companion guides?
What happens if a claim comes in without an NPI?
Will IBC allow providers to bill legacy and/or NPI?
Will IBC require NPIs on paper claims?
Will IBC require Tax ID in addition to NPI on paper claims?
Does IBC currently require different NPIs when there are different provider numbers?
How can hospitals notify IBC of their NPIs?
What happens in IBC’s system if an invalid NPI is received in any provider field?
Does IBC plan to give providers access to their NPIs in provider directories?
Are NPIs required when using the interactive voice response (IVR) system?
What is a National Provider Identifier (NPI)?
An NPI is a unique, ten-digit, intelligence-free, numeric identifier. Intelligence-free means that the numbers do not carry information about health care providers, such as the state in which they practice, their provider type, or their specialization.
NPIs replace health care provider identifiers used for standard transactions under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Those numbers included payer-specific IDs and Medicare legacy IDs (e.g., UPIN, OSCAR, PIN, and National Supplier Clearinghouse).
A provider’s NPI will not change. It will remain with the provider regardless of job or location change(s).
Is a health care provider required to obtain an NPI?
Yes. Under the National Provider Identifier Regulation (published in the Federal Register on January 23, 2004), a health care provider who is a covered entity, as defined in 45 C.F.R. § 160.103, and who transmits any health information in connection with a HIPAA standard transaction in electronic form, is required to obtain an NPI.
Why do health care providers need NPIs?
HIPAA requires the adoption of a standard unique identifier for health care providers.
NPIs allow for simpler electronic transmission of HIPAA standard transactions.
The NPI is the only health care provider identifier that can be used for identification purposes in standard transactions by covered entities. Covered entities include health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers who transmit any health information in electronic form in connection with a transaction for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services has adopted a standard.
NPIs are being used to identify health care providers on prescriptions and in internal files to link proprietary provider identification numbers and other information, coordination of benefits between health plans, patient medical record systems, program integrity files, and other ways as well.
How can health care providers obtain an NPI?
Providers who have not yet obtained their NPI may apply in one of the following ways:
How many NPIs do health care providers need?
An individual is eligible for a single NPI. An individual cannot have subparts and cannot designate subparts. In terms of NPI assignment, an individual is an Entity Type 1.
A sole proprietor/sole proprietorship is eligible for a single NPI. A sole proprietor/sole proprietorship cannot have subparts and cannot designate subparts. In terms of NPI assignment, a sole proprietor/sole proprietorship is an Entity Type 1 (Individual).
Organizations must also apply for a single NPI. In terms of NPI assignment, organization health care providers who are covered entities under HIPAA must apply for NPIs as Entity Type 2 (organization). Organization health care providers are corporations/partnerships or other types of businesses that are considered separate from an individual by the state in which they exist. Subparts of such organization health care providers who apply for NPIs are also Entity Type 2.
Registering your NPI with IBC is easy. Once you have obtained your NPI, you may register online by completing and submitting one of our NPI Provider Registration Forms.
Different online registration forms are available for all types of providers (participating and nonparticipating).
Contact your Network Coordinator with questions regarding the online Provider Registration Forms.
What is my Primary Provider Taxonomy Code?
The Provider Taxonomy is an alphanumeric code, ten characters in length, that allows a single provider (individual, group, or institution) to identify its specialty category. Information on Provider Taxonomy Codes is available through the Washington Publishing Company.
How long will it take to receive an NPI?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cannot predict the amount of time it will take to obtain an NPI. There are several reasons for that. Such factors CMS considers include:
CMS estimates that, in general, a health care provider who submits a properly completed, electronic application could have an NPI within ten days.
How can health care providers report NPIs to IBC?
Registering your NPI with IBC is easy. Once you have obtained your NPIs, you may register online using our NPI Provider Registration Web Form. All providers (participating and nonparticipating) may register using the appropriate online form.
Participating providers may also register their NPIs with us by mailing their completed custom NPI submission form. This form has been included in mailings to participating provider offices.
Contact your Network Coordinator with questions regarding the new Provider Registration Web form or your custom NPI submission form.
Where can I obtain additional information on the National Provider Identifier?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website is an excellent resource for detailed information on the National Provider Identifier.
How do I enumerate?
While keeping NPI enumeration requirements in mind, IBC strongly encourages providers to enumerate with NPIs in the same configuration as they are now enumerated with IBC using Corporate Provider IDs.
Where are the IBC billing instructions and companion guides?
Billing information can be found in our 
Claims submission toolkit for proper electronic and paper claims submissions as well as in our companion guides. Additional information can be found in issues of Partners in Health Update as well as in the current Provider Manual for Participating Professional Providers.
What happens if a claim comes in without an NPI?
An NPI is required by HIPAA regulations. If a claim is submitted without a valid, registered NPI, the claim will reject.
Will IBC allow providers to bill legacy and/or NPI?
In accordance with the CMS mandate, providers must use the NPI as the primary identifier on the claim, and IBC will reject claims with invalid NPIs.
For purposes of processing a claim, you must submit your registered National Provider Identifier (NPI). In accordance with the reimbursement terms of your provider contract, you may continue to provide your 10-digit legacy number. Only a valid NPI will be accepted by us as the primary identifier on the claim.
Will IBC require NPIs on paper claims?
Yes. Paper claims must be submitted with an NPI as the primary identifier.
Will IBC require Tax ID in addition to NPI on paper claims?
Yes. Tax ID is required for all claims.
If IBC is requiring NPI on all provider fields, will claims be denied/rejected if an NPI is not provided for ordering and/or referring providers? Some of these providers may not have an NPI, and others we may not be able to obtain.
IBC requires NPI identifiers in the following four provider fields:
Is IBC planning on requiring a nine-digit zip code on the claim form?
The nine-digit zip code is currently not required.
If providers choose to enumerate their subparts further than they currently have today with payer legacy ID numbers, will IBC require enrollment of their additional subparts?
No, IBC will not require enrollment of all subparts. However, IBC will not accept health care transactions using these NPIs if they are not registered with IBC.
Does IBC require different NPIs when there are currently different provider numbers?
While keeping NPI enumeration requirements in mind, IBC strongly encourages providers to enumerate with NPIs in the same configuration in which they are now enumerated with IBC using corporate provider IDs. Otherwise, issues may occur with your claim payments and internal business and reporting procedures. IBC recommends that you take a close look at your current provider number configuration and plan wisely when obtaining your NPIs.
How can hospitals notify IBC of their NPIs?
Registering your NPIs with IBC is easy. Once you have obtained your NPIs, you may register online using our NPI Provider Registration Web Form. All providers (participating and nonparticipating) may register using the appropriate online form.
Contact your Network Coordinator with questions regarding the new Provider Registration Web Form.
Does IBC plan to validate [meet CMS NPI formula] and verify [Dr. Smith’s NPI is truly Dr. Smith’s] provider NPIs?
IBC validates provider NPIs through the NPPES database provided by CMS. However, unless we are 100 percent sure of a provider match, we will not enter that NPI into our systems. Therefore, it is important to submit your NPIs to IBC so that your NPIs can be registered.
What happens in IBC’s system if an invalid NPI is received in any provider field?
Each claim must pass an NPI check-digit validation to ensure that it has a valid NPI. To date, many claims are not passing this check-digit validation. The most common reasons why claims are not passing the NPI check-digit validation are:
Does IBC plan to give providers access to NPIs in provider directories?
IBC does not currently plan to publish provider’s NPIs in its provider directory.
Are NPIs required when using the interactive voice response (IVR) system?
Because the IVR system is not covered under the CMS mandate, providers are permitted to use either an NPI or 10-digit legacy ID number and tax ID to access the IVR.