NPI number: can a foreign Dr. apply for an NPI number?

The NPI number or National Provider Identification Number is an identification number that is now required of all healthcare providers. It was instituted to provide a unique identifier for each individual provider.

This number will be required as of May 23, 2007 to be entered in any medical insurance claim form in order to make the payment. Therefore, if you expect insurance companies to reimburse you for services, you will need to obtain an NPI number.

But can a foreign Dr. apply for an NPI number? Yes. A foreign Dr. can apply for an NPI with a postal address and a place of practice that has a foreign address. The application for a foreign address will not be rejected.

If you still need to get your NPI application, you can complete the application online in about 15 minutes or you can request a written form and submit it to the NPI enumerator

P.O. Box 6059

Fargo, ND 58108-6059

Requests can take a few hours or several days to process. As we approach the May 23, 2007 deadline, the process may take longer if many providers have put off applying for their NPIs.

NPI numbers will eventually replace your Medicare provider number, Medicaid provider number, Champus provider number, UPIN number, and all unique provider numbers from all other payers (such as Blue Cross Blue Shield).

Once an NPI number is assigned to a covered healthcare provider, it will not change. NPI numbers will travel with a healthcare provider if they move from one geographic location to another. NPI numbers can be deactivated if the healthcare provider dies or goes out of business. NPI numbers will not be reissued to a different healthcare provider once they have been deactivated.

Copyright 2007 Alice Scott