General Information Guide

National Provider Identifier

A National Provider Identifier is a unique 10-digit identification number issued to health care providers in the United States by the CMS.

The NPI has replaced the UPIN as the required identifier for Medicare services and is used by other payers, including commercial healthcare insurers. The transition to the NPI was mandated as part of the Administrative Simplifications portion of the HIPAA and CMS began issuing NPIs back in October 2006.

An individual provider may have a single NPI, which will be associated with the provider’s unique, individual name and information.

The NPI Application Form (CMS-10114) has been revised to provide additional guidance on how to accurately complete the form. The form was approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The application form is currently available on the CMS Forms website at: CMS Forms. In addition, the form can be obtained by contacting the NPI Enumerator at 800-465-3203.

Individual providers may log on to the National Plan & Provider Enumeration System NPPES, to complete an application electronically for an NPI. Providers will be required to create an account in the NPPES and the I&A system.

  1. Create a Login through the I&A system.
  2. Login to NPPES with your I&A Username and password.

Healthcare Organizations are currently required to have a separate username and password for each NPI associated with an organization.

  1. Create an NPPES ONLY Username and password for the NPI you are applying for.

Reviewed 10/21/2024