NPI is a unique 10-digit number that is assigned to entities covered by HIPAA regulations.
It was introduced to simplify administration in health care to improve the quality of health care for the patients.
Although it is not mandatory, HIPAA authorities encourage all healthcare providers to get an NPI number.
So, if you have not started the process to acquire an NPI number, these are the benefits that might change your approach towards it.
You Are Missing Out On Convenience
Healthcare in America is not ideal and involves plenty of technicalities that can obstruct patient care. The most common of them is the communication with payers and health plans.
As a provider, you have to contact insurance companies to understand which services are covered. Furthermore, if there is a need to involve a third party the communication cannot be done via traditional means owing to the confidentiality of patients.
NPI offers a solution to all these problems. You can log in to the system and enter the unique NPI of the health plan or payer.
It will show all the services that are covered and the maximum benefits that patients are allowed. Furthermore, with the NPI number payer can directly deposit payment into your accounting software. So, this is an added convenience too.
Enables Better Care
Many patients have multiple health plans and the benefits of each plan can vary greatly. Plan A might allow elective procedures but Plan B might not.
HIPAA has announced coordination of benefit transactions for such patients. It means that if a procedure is covered by either of the plans that the patient owns, it has to be carried out regardless of the plan the patient was admitted with.
As a provider, you must know the details of each plan in order to know the maximum benefit that the patient is allowed.
To do that just log-in to the portal and enter the NPI number of each plan. It will show you all the procedures and the treatment that the patient is allowed on each plan. Hence, neither you nor the patient would experience any inconvenience.
Increases Profitability of Practice
NPI number can help providers increase profitability in their practice. It is because all the payments are deposited directly into the accounting software of the practice.
You can analyze the transaction to determine which services are making the profit and the ones that are liable. It can help you optimize the practice for more profit.
Patients Can Identify You
Most patients are very careful about their choices of care providers and conduct thorough research before selecting a practitioner or healthcare organization.
If you do not have an NPI number it can make the patients skeptical and can harm the reputation of the practice.
Whereas if you have an NPI number, it would be easy for patients to identify you. Plus, it is free marketing because as the patients search the registry for relevant taxonomy, the name of the practice will appear on the relevant list.
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Chibueze Uchegbu is a certified medical physiologist with a great passion for healthy living.
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