NPI: CMS Announcements
August 2007
NPPES Data Dissemination Begins September 4, 2007
National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) health care provider data, which is required to be disclosed to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), will now be made available by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on September 4, 2007 instead of the previous data dissemination date of August 1, 2007. The data will be available in two forms on the NPPES Web site:
- the National Provider Identifier (NPI) Registry and
- a downloadable file.
CMS extended the time period to allow health care providers to view their NPPES data and make any edits they felt were necessary prior to the initial disclosure of the data. CMS also extended the period so that providers could resolve any errors or problems they encountered with data they already submitted.
To ensure that any new edits are reflected in the NPI Registry and the downloadable file, providers must make their edits online no later than August 20, 2007. Any edits mailed to the NPI Enumerator must be received by the same deadline.
CMS will make the NPPES provider data available beginning September 4, 2007 on the NPI Registry. The downloadable file will be ready approximately one week later.
Some of the key data elements that will be disclosed by CMS under the FOIA include:
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Providers can also review the NPPES Data Elements – Data Dissemination – Information for Providers document for more information.
The NPPES data dissemination delay does not alter the requirement for HIPAA-covered entities to comply with the NPI Final Rule by May 23, 2008. All NPI contingencies must be terminated by that date.
August 2007
Recording Legacy Provider Numbers with NPPES Reminder
Providers should record their legacy provider numbers on the “NPI Application Form – Add Other Identification Number” page when applying for an NPI on the National Plan & Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) Web site. This information will assist Medicare in creating successful links between a provider’s NPI and any other identifiers assigned by Medicare such as a Provider Identification Number (PIN).
Providers, who have an NPI but did not include their legacy identifiers, should go to the NPPES Web site and update this information. Providers should be aware that deleting or failing to record legacy numbers in these fields could result in claims being rejected if Medicare systems are unable to properly match the incoming NPI with a legacy number.
Providers can also review the MLN Matters (#SE0679) newsletter for more information about the recording and use of legacy provider numbers.
Note:
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