The National Provider Identifier: What Is It & What Does It Mean for Provider Organizations?

OPEN MINDS, The Behavioral Health & Social Service Industry Analyst Cover Story The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's (HIPAA) Administrative Simplification mandated that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopt a standard unique health identifier for health care provider organizations. The primary purpose is to uniquely identify health care provider organizations and their subparts when conducting electronic transactions in the course of business. The new number will replace any other identifier currently assigned to provider organizations by private and government health plans and health care purchasers. The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a ten-position number . . .