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Guide

What is an NPI, and why does it matter for screening?

Reviewed against the source · HHS Office of Inspector General, SAM.gov

A National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a unique 10-digit number that identifies a covered health care provider. CMS describes the NPI as a HIPAA Administrative Simplification standard and as a 10-position, intelligence-free numeric identifier. Unlike a name, which many people share, an NPI identifies exactly one provider.

Why is an NPI the strongest basis for a screening match?

Our characterisation: a name match — even a full first-and-last-name match — can still be coincidental if a search doesn't include an NPI, whereas an equality match on NPI is treated as the strongest possible basis for a screening result, because the identifier is unique. Searching with an NPI when you have one is the single most useful thing you can add to any exclusion check.

Sources

Where this page says “our characterisation,” “our reasoning,” or “we measured,” the statement is CFExclusion's own rather than a government source's. CFExclusion is a private service and is not affiliated with HHS, OIG, CMS, or SAM.gov.

Check a name

Looking for a specific name? Search the HHS-OIG LEIE, SAM.gov exclusions, and Medicaid exclusion lists from 41 states — free, with no signup for your first 3 searches a day.

Adding a state or NPI lets us confirm a match with more confidence.

A $25 report turns that search into a dated, signed record: proof this name was checked against all 43 sources — HHS-OIG LEIE, SAM.gov, and 41 state Medicaid lists — on a specific date, clear or not. See a sample report →

A single check is a snapshot: HHS-OIG replaces the LEIE around the middle of every month, so a result from last month no longer reflects who's on the list today. OIG's own guidance recommends screening your full workforce and vendors on that same monthly cycle — a best practice it states plainly, not a legal mandate. What OIG's guidance actually says about monthly screening → · See the monthly screening service →

For new federal enforcement actions and court records every day, see CourtPulse (courtpls.com).

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