Why does BCBSMA have to retain use of TPS IDs (also referred to as “legacy” provider numbers in provider communications) at all? Why not revert to using the NPI alone?
Like most payers, the BCBSMA adjudication process uses the legacy provider number to administer the provider contractual and pricing provisions, member benefits, and processing edits. The time and cost involved in recoding these systems to use only NPIs would be prohibitive and would greatly increase administrative costs. Therefore, most payers including BCBSMA have elected not to convert to the use of NPI alone in the short term.
Related Questions
- Why does BCBSMA have to retain use of TPS IDs (also referred to as "legacy" provider numbers in provider communications) at all? Why not revert to using the NPI alone?
- Should I continue to use legacy provider numbers for certain functions (e.g., VRU, paper claims, referrals)?
- How do I use Affymetrix IDs to find dbSNP refSNP (rs) numbers?
