CMS Grants NPI Contingency Period
On April 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it is granting a 12-month contingency period after the May 23 compliance deadline for national provider identifiers (NPI). CMS realized that many covered providers are not able to meet the deadline established by the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996.
CMS will continue accepting legacy identifier numbers (PIN, UPINs) until May 23, 2008. CMS is basing the enforcement process on a “good faith effort.” Providers need to demonstrate that they are attempting to comply with the standard by obtaining and using their NPIs. CMS will examine providers’ reasonable and diligent effort to become complaints on case-by-case basis.
CMS is planning to provide further guidance on the NPI provisions and compliance requirements and will announce its own contingency plans of implementing NPI.
For further information on this contingency period, see the CMS notice.
Click here for additional NPI background information.
Should you have any questions, please contact Helen Olkaba, in the ACR economics and health policy department, at (800) 227-5463, ext. 4132.