National Provider Identification
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The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a unique number assigned to health care practitioners (e.g., physicians) and health care organizations (e.g., facilities or group practices). Each health care practitioner (e.g., physician) can obtain an individual NPI number. Health care organizations can obtain multiple NPI numbers to represent different organizational parts.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) generates the NPI numbers, and applications are available online.
Beginning May 23, 2007, all HIPAA electronic standard transactions must use an NPI number. Paper claims are being modified to include an NPI.