The following information was forwarded by CMS. You will find details of a newly established methodology by which you can submit information in compliance with the requirement for a NPI ( national provider identifier).

If  you have not signed up for the Trailblazer Listserv, you are strongly encouraged to do so. This may be accomplished by going to www.trailblazerhealth.com and clicking on "Stan" - the little guy in the lower right hand corner waving the flag.

As always, if you have questions, please let me know.

Angela S. Brooks, PT - VPTA Payer Relations Specialist

Angelasbrooks@...

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Beginning today, May 1, 2006, the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) announces the capability for health industry
organizations to submit health care providers' applications for National
Provider Identifiers (NPIs) to the National Plan and Provider
Enumeration System (NPPES) via Electronic File Interchange (EFI).  With
EFI, a CMS-approved health industry organization can submit a health
care provider's NPI application data, along with the application data of
many other health care providers, in a single electronic file in a
CMS-specified format.

EFI is an alternative to health care providers having to apply
for their NPIs via the web-based or paper application process.  After
the NPPES processes a file, it makes available to the organization a
downloadable file containing the NPIs of the enumerated health care
providers.  Interested health industry organizations should avail
themselves of the EFI materials available from the CMS NPI page
(http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/) and from the NPPES page
(https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov) before downloading and completing the
Certification Statement (available at https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov) and
registering as EFI Organizations.  A completed Certification Statement
must be approved by CMS before an interested health industry
organization can participate in EFI.