Your old forms won't work with new NPIs
Just when you think you-re prepared for the conversion to National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers, there's another hurdle to clear. You-ll soon be faced with a new CMS 1500 Health Insurance Claim Form.
Because the current CMS 1500 form will not be compatible with NPI numbers, the National Uniform Claims Committee (NUCC) began revising the 1500 form in June 2004.
-With the release of the NPI Final Rule in January 2004, it became apparent to the healthcare industry that the 1500 Claim Form would need to accommodate both the NPI and other identifier numbers during a transition period and potentially indefinitely. Therefore, the form needed to be revised,- the NUCC says in a FAQ document on its Web site,
www.nucc.org/images/stories/PDF/1500_faqs20060721.pdf.
Get ready: On its Web site, the NUCC recommends that billers and payers use the following timeline to prepare for the transition to the new form:
- Oct. 1, 2006: Health plans, clearinghouses, and other information support vendors should be ready to handle and accept the revised (08/05) 1500 Claim Form.
- Oct. 1, 2006-Feb. 1, 2007: Providers can use either the current (12/90) version or the revised (08/05) version of the 1500 Claim Form.
- Feb. 1, 2007: The current (12/90) version of the 1500 Claim Form is discontinued; only the revised (08/05) form is to be used. All rebilling of claims should use the revised (08/05) form from this date forward, even though earlier submissions may have been on the current (12/90) 1500 Claim Form. Note: Watch next month's issue of Medical Office Billing & Collections Alert to see how the new form will affect your office and what you-ll need to do to be ready.
