The Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS) recently learned that some clearinghouses are stripping National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) before submitting claims to Medicare. While this will not affect your ability to get paid, it will adversely affect your ability to participate in the Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI).

If you use a clearinghouse and plan to participate in Medicare's quality reporting initiative, you should check with your clearinghouse to find out if it is stripping NPIs. If your clearinghouse is stripping NPIs, you may want to consider other billing options.

One such option is CMA's clearinghouse partner, Infinedi. CMA members receive a discount of 8 to 12 percent. Physicians can choose Infinedi's flat rate monthly service, which permits unlimited electronic claims filing, or opt for a per-transaction payment plan.

You don't need special software. Claims can be transmitted 24 hours a day to Infinedi's online web portal via secure FTP, or by modem through a toll-free number. You can also access up-to-date reports on claims status and related information.

Infinedi is also developing a new tool that will track and notify physicians when their claims are PQRI eligible.

Click here for more information from CMS, including tips on using your NPI correctly on Part A and Part B claims.

Contact: Sandra Bressler, 415/882-5171 or sbressler@cmanet.org.