NPI Number – Can a Foreign Dr. Apply for a NPI Number

NPI number or National Provider Identifier 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 on any medical insurance claim forms for payment to be made. So if you expect to be reimbursed by insurance companies for services, you’ll need to obtain an NPI number.
But, can a foreign Dr. apply for a NPI number? Yes. A foreign Dr. can apply for an NPI with a mailing address and a practice location that have a foreign address. The application will not be denied for a foreign address.
If you still need to obtain your NPI application, you can complete the application online in about 15 minutes or you can request a written form and submit it to NPI Enumerator
PO Box 6059
Fargo, ND 58108-6059
Applications may take as little as a few hours or several days to process. As we get closer to the deadline of May 23, 2007 it may take longer to process if very many providers have procrastinated in applying for their NPI’s.
NPI numbers will eventually replace your Medicare provider number, Medicaid provider number, Champus provider number, UPIN number, and all other payors’ unique provider numbers (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 geographical location to another. NPI numbers can be deactivated if the healthcare provider is deceased 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