Government
Med school graduates asked to update NPI data
■ CMS reminds newly minted doctors to revise their national provider identifier information upon moving into active practice.
By Chris Silva — Posted Aug. 28, 2009
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Washington -- Physicians who were provided national provider identifiers by their academic medical centers or universities are not updating their information after graduation, and that is causing a spike in out-of-date NPI files, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
In an Aug. 3 notice, the agency asked new doctors to check their records and ensure they are up to date.
Many physicians are assigned NPIs upon medical school graduation, with the university address and phone number listed as the place of business. When physicians don't update this information with the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, letters and phone calls intended for them go to the schools, CMS said.
Federal law requires the agency to make available to the public certain information contained within physicians' NPI records. Universities are not responsible for updating the information for graduates, CMS said. In most cases, the schools don't even have that contact information.
All doctors who send claims electronically -- and those who file paper claims with Medicare and other payers -- must have an NPI and must update their records within 30 days of any change in personal information, CMS said.
Physicians can view their NPI records online and make corrections at any time. Those who don't have established user IDs and passwords can obtain them at the site (link).
