AdvancedMD Announces NPI Capability at No Charge to Subscribers

AdvancedMD, the leading provider of Web-based practice management solutions for medical offices and third-party medical billing services, announced that it has completed upgrading all clients with National Provider Identifier (NPI) capability at no additional charge.

"Several vendors are charging their clients for NPI compatibility," said Jim Pack, President of AdvancedMD. "From a customer support standpoint, this is unconscionable. Doctors have to be NPI compliant to submit claims after the deadline. If a vendor isn’t giving NPI compatibility for free then the office should find another vendor."

"It’s not only the fact that software vendors are charging for NPI capability, it’s that frequently offices will have to upgrade hardware and systems as well," Pack said. "This means that doctors who were expecting a ‘cost-effective’ solution will end up paying thousands of dollars and experience substantial office turmoil to send NPI compliant claims."

The NPI is a 10-digit, numeric identifier that does not carry information about the health care provider, such as practice location or specialization. The NPI will replace current care provider identifiers in HIPAA claim transactions including Medicare legacy IDs (PIN, OSCAR, UPIN and National Supplier Clearinghouse or NSC).

"All health care providers must obtain an NPI by May 23, 2007," said Ken Meyers, operations vice president at AdvancedMD. "There is no charge to apply for an NPI number, and once an NPI is assigned it doesn’t change regardless of changes in provider specialty or location."