From: CMS Provider Resource
Subject: National Provider Identifier (NPI) Contingency Guidance -
National Provider Roundtable with Question & Answer Session

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a
National Roundtable on the recently released NPI Compliance Contingency
Guidance. This toll-free call will take place from 2:30 p.m. - 4:00
p.m., EDT, on Wednesday April 18, 2007.
The CMS announced that through May 23, 2008, CMS will not impose
penalties on covered entities that deploy contingency plans to
facilitate the compliance of their trading partners (e.g. those
healthcare providers who bill them). The posted guidance document can
be used by covered entities to design and implement a contingency plan.
Details are contained in a CMS document entitled, "Guidance on
Compliance with the HIPAA National Provider Identifier (NPI) Rule." To
view this guidance, visit
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/Downloads/NPI_Contingency.pdf
on the CMS website.
The final rule establishing the NPI as the standard unique health
provider identifier for health care providers was published in 2004 and
requires all covered entities to be in compliance with its provisions by
May 23, 2007, except for small health plans, which must be in compliance
by May 23, 2008.
CMS encourages health plans to assess the readiness of their
provider communities and determine the need to implement contingency
plans to maintain the flow of payments, while continuing to work toward
compliance.
The call will open with a presentation on the Contingency Guidance
announced on April 2, and it should be of particular interest to health
plans that are developing their own contingency plans. Following the
presentation, callers will have an opportunity to ask questions of CMS
subject matter experts.
A second Roundtable will be scheduled following the Medicare
Fee-for-Service announcement of its contingency plan. This call will be
of particular interest to Medicare providers and trading partners.
Information on this call will be announced shortly and posted on
www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand.
The CMS guidance and resultant contingency plans that may be
implemented by covered entities does not remove the requirement and
expectation for health care providers to acquire an NPI. Getting an NPI
is easy and free. Go to www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand for
more information.
April 18, 2007 conference call details:
Date: April 18, 2007
Conference Title: NPI Contingency Guidance Roundtable
Time: 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. EDT
In order to receive the call-in information, you must register for
the call. It is important to note that if you are planning to sit in
with a group, only one person needs to register to receive the call-in
data. This registration is solely to reserve a phone line, NOT to allow
participation.
Registration will close at 1:00 p.m. EDT on April 17, 2007. No
exceptions will be made, so please be sure to register prior to this
time.
1. To register for the call participants need to go to:
https://ww4.premconf.com/webrsvp/register?conf_id=7749423
2. Click "Continue" to be taken to the registration screen.
3. Fill in all required data.
4. Click "Submit".
5. You will be taken to the confirmation screen where the call-in number
will be given.
6. To view the time the call will start, you will need to select your
time zone in the drop down box under "Time" on the confirmation screen.
7. Click "Confirm Registration" to receive a confirmation email.
For technical issues with web registration for this Roundtable,
please call 1-800-289-0579.
For those individuals who are unable to attend, an audio file of the
conference will be posted at
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/04_education.asp on the
CMS website.

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National Plan / Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) -
Data Dissemination Notice

Still listed as "under review" by the Office of Management and Budget as
of Friday, 13 April 2007.

DAF

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From:
http://www.nucc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=54&Itemid=1

Interim Release of 1500 Instruction Manual - Version 2.1 3/07

April 3, 2007 - In response to the recent format issues with the
08/05 version of the 1500 Claim Form, the National Uniform Claim
Committee (NUCC) has revised its 1500 Reference Instruction Manual. The
NUCC releases the latest version, Version 2.1 3/07, which goes into
effect immediately. The instruction manual is available on the
www.nucc.org website. A complete list of the changes is also available.
Overall, the revisions to the instruction manual are limited to
removal of the print specifications (Appendix A) and the grid version of
the 1500 Claim Form (page 57) and related references to these items.
These items may be placed back into the manual once the formatting
issues have been resolved.
The NUCC previously announced that releases to the 1500
instruction manual would be limited to annually on July 1. The NUCC,
however, believed the recent formatting issues deemed it necessary to
revise the manual for an interim release.
The 1500 instruction manual is maintained by the NUCC. The NUCC
is a voluntary organization whose members include representatives from
major provider, payer, health researchers, and other organizations
representing billing professionals, and electronic standard developers.
Additional information about the NUCC is available at: www.nucc.org.
For more information on the 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form
Reference Instruction Manual, visit the NUCC website or contact Nancy
Spector, NUCC Chair.

© Copyright 2007 American Medical Association
This document is published in cooperation with the National
Uniform Claim Committee (NUCC) by the American Medical Association.
Permission is granted to any individual to copy and use this material as
long as the copyright statement is included, the contents are not
changed, and the copies are not sold or licensed. Applicable FARS/DFARS
restrictions apply.
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