What is the standard identifier for physicians issued to all HIPAA-covered entities?

The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is the standard identifier for physicians that is issued to all HIPAA-covered entities. This unique identification number is mandatory for healthcare providers to ensure consistency in billing and claims processing across different health plans and insurance companies. The NPI allows for the standardization of provider identification and promotes efficient, streamlined communication in the healthcare system, thus improving overall patient care.

The NPI is a 10-digit number that does not contain any embedded intelligence, meaning it does not convey specific information about the provider, such as their specialty or location. This aspect of the NPI makes it particularly useful in healthcare transactions, as it ensures that all providers are uniformly identified regardless of their specific circumstances.

In contrast, other identifiers, such as the National Practitioner Databank (NPD), are intended for different purposes, mainly related to monitoring the actions, performance, and credentials of healthcare providers but do not serve as standard identifiers for billing. The Universal Physician Number (UPN) is not an established identifier and is not recognized within HIPAA regulations. The Master Patient Index (MPI) pertains to patient identification and management within healthcare systems, not to providers. Thus, it is the NPI that serves as the official and standardized identifier required for all