The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will soon make physicians’ National Provider Identifier (NPI) data publicly available online via a searchable database.

The agency has, however, decided to delay the launch to allow physicians and other covered entities additional time to ensure that their information is accurate before it is disclosed by CMS. Physicians can review their information at the NPI enumerator’s website, http://nppes.cms.hhs.gov

The new deadline to make changes is this August 20. The data will be made public on September 4. The online lookup will return NPIs and relevant demographic information, but it will not disclose Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or IRS taxpayer identification numbers, according to CMS

Click here for more information on this issue on the CMS website.

Contact: CMA’s Reimbursement Help Line, 888/401-5911 or gfonseca@cmanet.org.