The basics
The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a 10-digit number issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It was introduced under HIPAA to give every health care provider a single, standardized identifier used across electronic transactions such as claims and eligibility checks.
An NPI is intentionally "dumb" — it carries no information about the provider's specialty, location, or qualifications. It is simply a stable identifier. The descriptive details (name, taxonomy, address) live in the provider's NPPES record, which CMS publishes publicly.
What an NPI is — and is not
An NPI is:
- A unique, permanent 10-digit administrative identifier.
- Public information published by CMS through NPPES.
- Used on claims, prescriptions, and other standardized transactions.
An NPI is not:
- Proof of an active license or that a provider is in good standing.
- Proof of board certification or specific credentials.
- A rating, ranking, or measure of quality or safety.
- Confirmation of insurance network participation or that a provider accepts patients.
Type 1 vs. Type 2
There are two kinds of NPI. A Type 1 NPI identifies an individual provider, while a Type 2 NPI identifies an organization such as a hospital or clinic. A single person may be associated with both — for example, an individual NPI of their own and the organizational NPI of the practice they work for.
How to look up an NPI
You can search by the 10-digit number directly, or by provider name, organization, specialty, or location using our NPI lookup. Each result links to the full public record, with the data source and refresh date clearly shown.