Tips to Avoid NPI Nightmares

Getting a National Provider Identifier (NPI) can result in headaches for both practices and individual providers. If a practice applies for NPIs for all of its providers and an individual doctor applies for his own NPI, the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) could generate two NPIs for one provider, leaving the practice manager and provider with the problem of figuring out which one to use.

Doctors should keep in mind that they re responsible for obtaining a NPI or knowing who is applying for the number. NPPES instructs the person receiving the NPI to notify the physician of the number.

When there is a change in your NPI information, i.e. change of address, you must notify the NPI enumerator within 30 days.

The following are several tips to help avoid hassles:
Check with your practice management system vendor to make sure that it has a location in its system for an NPI number. Also, ask your clearinghouse when it will be able to accept the NPI number.