NPI number or National Provider Identifier number is a ten digit number assigned to members of the medical profession who submit medical insurance claims for payment. Once you obtain your NPI number, here is how to notify insurance carriers and Medicare of your NPI.
Providers have been submitting claims on HCFA 1500′s and UB92′s for reimbursement of services from insurance carriers. With the adoption of the NPI number, new forms were introduced to submit medical insurance claims.
The new forms, the CMS 1500 and the UB04 have provisions for reporting the NPI number on the claim form. These forms have split fields and shaded areas to differentiate between the NPI number and other legacy numbers.
When you start submitting the new forms to Medicare, Medicare will then enter your national provider identifier in your file and forward the NPI information to any secondary insurance companies with crossover coverage.
Many insurance companies are now sending out letters and forms requesting the NPI information from the providers. Some are even making calls to the provider’s offices to get the information. These letters should be taken seriously as you do not want to contribute to anything that will slow or stop your future payments.
It would be a good idea to submit your NPI number to each insurance company you bill for. Make sure it is printing on your CMS 1500 or UB04 forms. If an insurance company has sent you a request, you should complete the instructions and return the request. For all other insurance carriers, write a brief note on your letterhead stating the provider’s name, npi number, tax id number and locations and send to provider relations.
As of May 23, 2007 medical insurance claims must have an NPI number in order to be reimbursed. The insurance companies have a huge job ahead of them in getting all these NPI numbers in place before the deadline. You want to make sure you’ve done all your part in making this change a reality. Be sure to notify all insurance carriers who will be reimbursing you.
Copyright 2007 – Alice Scott
Alice Scott and her daughter / partner are co-owners of a medical billing service. They offer an informational website for both physician’s offices and the general public looking for information or help with their problems on medical billing. For more information about all the important changes now going on in Medical Insurance Billing, click here.
Filed under Health Insurance by on Sep 13th, 2010. Comment. 
I am 25 and my health insurance ran out. Where can I get cheap health insurance in NY that includes:?
Also, what does this mean in lamens terms?
With a high deductible health plan (HDHP), you pay for most health care expenses up to a certain amount
before the insurance policy begins to cover them. The standard deductible is $1,150 for individuals
Hospitalization (MAJOR MEDICAL)
Prescription Coverage
Out Patient (Dr. Office Visits, House Calls)
Right to pick your own doctor within the network
Emergency Care
Surgical Care
Optional: Dental/Optical
Very Least Must Have Hospitilization/Surgical/Emergency
Try this site where you can get quotes from different companies in NY so you can compare them and decide which is the best for you
http://heinsurance.notlong.com
I hope it helps you.
Filed under Health Insurance by on Sep 8th, 2010. Comment.
IMPORANT: Insurance Rule Change Being Considered
State insurance regulators are toying with the idea of lowering the reserves insurance companies would be required to have set aside – to cover things like life insurance and annuity contracts.
Basically, the amount of money they must have on hand to cover their obligations to policyholders.
Insurers claim the current requirements are redundant and overly conservative.
Huh? When you are guaranteeing life insurance contracts and annuity contracts aren’t they supposed to be based on conservative projections??
This current economic situation is affecting insurance companies to be sure, and some are in a position of potentially having to sell assets. That is the real issue – not the fact that current reserve requirements are too conservative. Insurers do not want to have to liquidate valuable assets, like real estate holdings.
By lowering the reserves insurance carriers would be required to have to back life and annuity contracts, it would open up a projected $22-$28 billion dollars industrywide, reportedly.
Murphy’s Law
Count me as a bit skeptical. But nature has a weird way of filling a void. And maybe call me a bit negative or pessimistic. It’s ok.
The moment we reduce the reserve requirements what are the odds that old man murphy slaps us with some odd disease or illness that raises the death toll higher than insurance company projections. What if they run low on cash (because they will spend excess cash – trust me), would they then expect/hope the feds will come to their rescue as happened in the bank and mortgage industry. The feds only have so much money to spend (or print).
Insurers are saying they may have to sell assets if the rules are not changed.
Life is hard sometimes
Ok. So sell that downtown New York building then. Average American’s are tightening their belts during this time too. It’s ok if you have to tighten your belt. Sell a couple assets.
It is either that or our state regulators agree to lower those reserves and we put ourselves in a position of facing an insurance industry meltdown at the next health or financial calamity.
Call me negative. Call me pessimistic. But I’d like my insurance industry to remain committed to the conservative principles and rules they have lived under for so long. It’s become a fairly stable and reliable industry as a result. American’s have had very little to gripe about when it comes to insurance companies backing their product.
I’d like to keep it that way.
Gary Brown is principal owner of Choice Insurance of Arizona. He serves Arizona residents for Arizona Auto Insurance, Arizona Homeowner Insurance, and Arizona Life Insurance. Find his website at Arizona Auto Insurance
Filed under Health Insurance by on Jul 14th, 2010. Comment.