What is an NPI number?
In HIPAA-compliant administrative and financial transactions, covered health care providers, as well as all health plans and clearinghouses, must use NPIs.
The NPI is a numeric identification of ten positions. Additional information about healthcare practitioners, such as their place of residence or medical expertise, is not included in the data.
An NPI number appears on all Medicare and Medicaid applications and claim forms.
Healthcare providers use it to identify themselves in financial transactions, and care plans use it to identify and cooperate with other providers.
Will a provider’s NPI ever change?
In most cases, a provider’s NPI cannot be changed. Unfortunately, if a health care provider (such as a physician) dies, his or her NPI is deactivated.
If a physician stops practicing, the NPI will be cancelled as well. The deactivated NPI will never be shared with anybody else in the health-care system.
The NPI number does not change when a provider moves from one state to another.
How do I change my NPI information?
There are two options for changing/updating the information on an NPI record after the initial application has been enumerated and a National Provider Identifier (NPI) has been assigned.
Making Changes Online
To make an online change, go to https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov and follow the steps provided below:
NOTE: Changes to a person’s date of birth, social security number, reactivation of an NPI registry, or deactivation of an NPI cannot be accomplished online and must be accomplished using a paper application/update form.
- Enter your I&A User ID and password on the NPPES website’s Home Page.
- To edit the chosen NPI application, use the “Pencil” ICON.
- By clicking on the ‘Next’ button at the bottom of each page or selecting the correct page from the left-hand navigation bar, you may get to the page that contains the information that needs to be updated.
Making Changes with a Paper Application/Update Form
Updates can be requested by emailing the NPI Enumerator and requesting one via mail, or by sending a Paper Application/Update Form, which can be accessed at https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov.