Since the implementation of National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), billing processes have been simplified and streamlined. The unique ten-digit identifier codes assigned to physicians and other healthcare providers by the US Department of Health and Human Services have now become a part of the majority of electronic health information being transmitted and are used in a variety of circumstances, including authentication, process control, individual claims, contracts, agreements, and more. Although the use of NPIs has improved efficiency and eased burdensome processes, their existence poses a potential threat of identity theft and medical fraud.

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