Question 1

What is an NPI number?

Accepted Answer

A National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a unique 10-digit identification number issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to healthcare providers in the United States. All HIPAA-covered entities must have an NPI.

Question 2

How do I look up a provider's NPI?

Accepted Answer

Enter the provider's name, specialty, or NPI number in the search bar above. You can optionally filter by state. HCC Buddy searches 9.37 million providers from the NPPES registry and supports AI-assisted search for partial names and alternate spellings.

Question 3

What is the NPPES registry?

Accepted Answer

The National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) is the official CMS database of all healthcare providers with assigned NPI numbers. It includes individual providers (Type 1) and organizations (Type 2).

Question 4

Can I search NPI by provider name?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Search by first name, last name, or both. HCC Buddy automatically parses credentials (MD, DO, NP, PA, etc.) and detects state abbreviations from freetext queries for smarter results.

Question 5

How often is the NPI database updated?

Accepted Answer

The NPI database is updated weekly from the CMS NPPES data dissemination. The 'Last updated' date is displayed on every search page.

Question 6

What's the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 NPI?

Accepted Answer

Type 1 NPI is assigned to individual healthcare providers (doctors, nurses, therapists). Type 2 NPI is assigned to organizations (hospitals, clinics, group practices). Both types are searchable in HCC Buddy.

NPI Provider Lookup

What Is an NPI Number?

How It Works

Search by name

Filter by state

AI-assisted matching

Frequently Asked Questions