Message to Medicare Providers, Billers, Clearinghouses, and Vendors
NPI:
Get It. Share It. Use It.
As
noted in previous announcements by the agency and our contractors, CMS plans to
begin testing the new software that has been developed to use the National
Provider Identifier (NPI) in the existing Medicare fee-for-service claims
processing systems. Providers have until May 23, 2007, before you are required
to submit claims with only an NPI.
Until
testing is complete within the Medicare processing systems, CMS urges providers
to continue submitting Medicare fee-for-service claims in one of two ways:
| Use
your legacy number,
such as your Provider Identification Number (PIN), NSC number, OSCAR number
or UPIN; or |
| Use
both your NPI and your legacy number. |
Until
testing of the new software that uses the NPI in the Medicare systems is
complete and until further notice from CMS, the following may occur if you
submit Medicare claims with only an NPI:
| Claims
may be processed and paid, or |
| Claims
for which Medicare systems are unable to properly match the incoming NPI
with a legacy number (e.g., PIN, OSCAR number) may be rejected to the
provider, and then you will need to resubmit the claim with the appropriate
legacy number. |
As
always, more information and education on the NPI can be found at the CMS NPI
page http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/
on the CMS website. Providers can apply for an NPI online at https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov
or can call the NPI enumerator to request a paper application at 1-800-465-3203.
Getting
an NPI is free - not having one can be costly.
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Tell
your associates to sign-up for CMS' Fee-for-Service provider listservs! Go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/mailinglists/default.asp?audience=3
to subscribe.
For
more information about CMS provider listservs, go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/MailingLists_FactSheet.pdf