Failure to comply with CMS' new enrollment procedures could impact physicians' cash flow.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has instituted big changes in its enrollment procedures that could have a major impact on physician groups that fail to comply with CMS' new requirements. First, tick ... tick ... tick ... time is quickly running out on the chance to obtain, and implement into the flow of your practice, a National Provider Identification number (NPI). The bad news is that the requirement to get an NPI is statutory, meaning it's not going to go away. Second, CMS revamped its Medicare provider enrollment processes in an attempt to reduce enrollment application processing delays. Unfortunately, rather than expedite the enrollment process, CMS' new regulations had the over-all effect of causing even more delays and backlogs in the enrollment process. Providers who do not have an NPI by the required deadline risk potential compliance penalties and payment delays. Therefore, not having an NPI or a Medicare Provider Number can have serious consequences on providers' ability to provide care as well as their bottom line (think cash flow!).