Definition Thursday: National Provider Identifier (NPI)

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National Provider Identifier (NPI):

A unique 8 digit number assigned to every health care provider and required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Administrative Simplification Standard. The NPI is a unique identification number for covered health care providers.

The National Provider Identifier number is required to register for meaningful use incentive payments. If you are a health care provider and do not have an NPI number, you can apply for one at the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES).

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