The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the National Provider Identifier (NPI) will become the standard, unique identifier for all health care providers by May 23, 2007. It will eliminate the need for providers to track and use multiple identifiers assigned to them by health plans and other payors. On May 23, 2005, providers can begin to apply for their individual NPI. Please refer to the Web site https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/ for information on how to apply for your NPI.

If you are not familiar with NPI, you can obtain more information from the CMS Web site:

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2/regulations/identifiers/default.asp

Schaller Anderson Healthcare is prepared to accept and store NPI received from participating providers. Schaller Anderson Healthcare is also able to use the NPI in any electronic claim transmissions as required by CMS. Please communicate your NPI in writing directly to the Schaller Anderson Healthcare Provider Services Department as soon as possible.

Until further notice, it is critical that you continue to provide to Schaller Anderson Healthcare the ID that you are currently using on all electronic and paper claims in addition to using your NPI.

If you submit claims electronically through EDI, please work with your vendor to ensure that your NPI is placed in NM109 using the Identification Code Qualifier of 'XX' in NM108.

Until the UB-92 and HCFA forms are updated to accommodate NPI, we ask that you document your NPI in Box 11 of the UB-92 form, or Box 19 of the HCFA 1500 form.

Should you have any questions, please contact your Schaller Anderson Healthcare Provider Services Representative at (602) 659-1760.