CMS NPPES NPI Registry

How this source shows up on Fonteum.

We match dermatology and chiropractic practice listings to NPPES records and surface the NPI, taxonomy code, taxonomy description, and NPI enumeration date on the profile. Each value carries source attribution + last-checked date + the §95 limitations sentence.

Research and data questions this source supports.

• 01Resolve a provider NPI to taxonomy code, credentials, and practice address in a single API call — no manual lookup.
• 02Build a payer credentialing pipeline that cross-references provider identity across PECOS, LEIE, and QPP MIPS using NPI as the join key.
• 03Power a specialty-filtered provider directory with NPPES taxonomy codes — 1,700+ taxonomy types covering MD, DO, NP, PA, and allied health roles.
• 04Feed a RAG retrieval system that needs structured provider identity records (NPI, enumeration date, taxonomy) with source provenance attached.
• 05Enrich EHR referral data with NPPES provider location records to surface network coverage gaps by county.

Dataset size: 8.1 million+ active NPIs (May 2026 snapshot)

Per-field display contract.

Every field below has a `display_allowed` flag in the §94 provenance schema. Write-locked fields are captured to provenance for audit but never rendered on profile pages.

What we can’t infer from this source.

• An NPI is an identifier, not a quality measurement.
• Inactive providers may retain an NPI for years after retirement; Fonteum's 6-month re-check cadence catches most lapses but not all.
• Taxonomy codes are self-reported by providers at NPI enumeration time and may be out of date.
• Not every NPPES record carries a current address; Fonteum uses the Practice Location Address when present.
• Fonteum does not write match rows below 0.75 confidence; ambiguous matches (top-2 within 0.05 + both ≥ 0.75) are suppressed entirely.

Authority, license, refresh cadence.

What the source allows.

U.S. government public-domain works (https://www.usa.gov/government-works). Free to redistribute with attribution. No commercial-use restrictions; the only ToS-equivalent ask is that downstream consumers cite NPPES as the source. Bulk download is provided as the canonical CSV at the NPI Registry.

What a single field looks like in the graph.

A worked example. Every field surfaced from this source carries this shape of provenance line — source · last checked · display rule · confidence (when applicable).

Official API, bulk download, and Fonteum endpoints.

Common questions about CMS NPPES.

What is an NPI and how does NPPES assign it?

A National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a 10-digit numeric identifier assigned by CMS to every HIPAA-covered healthcare provider and organization. NPPES (the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System) issues Type 1 NPIs to individual practitioners and Type 2 NPIs to organizations. Once issued, an NPI is permanent — it does not change even if the provider changes practice, specialty, or state.

How often does NPPES update, and how fresh is Fonteum's copy?

CMS publishes daily incremental NPPES files and a monthly full-replacement download at the NPI Registry. Fonteum's pipeline re-checks each matched provider on a 6-month cycle. The source · date · methodology-version provenance line on every displayed field shows exactly when the record was last pulled.

Can I download the full NPPES NPI registry in bulk?

Yes. CMS makes the full NPPES dataset available as a monthly CSV at npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/registry/downloadable. The file contains all active and deactivated NPI records. It is U.S. government public-domain data — no license fee, no redistribution restriction beyond attribution.

What is an NPPES taxonomy code and what does it mean?

NPPES taxonomy codes are from the NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy code set — a standardized classification covering more than 1,700 provider types and specialties. A taxonomy code like 207ND0101X identifies a provider as an MD in Dermatology, MOHS-Micrographic Surgery. Codes are self-reported by the provider at NPI enumeration time and may be updated via an NPPES record change request.

Does an active NPI mean the provider is currently practicing?

Not necessarily. An NPI is an administrative identifier that persists after retirement, credential lapse, or location change. Fonteum's 6-month re-check cadence catches most lapses, but an active NPI record does not constitute a quality assessment, credential endorsement, or appointment availability signal. Always confirm current practice status with the provider or the relevant state medical board.

Where this source already shows up.

Research studies citing this source

• Dermatology Access and Practice Density Report 2026 — Indexed Practice Coverage Across the United States →

Verticals where this source renders today

• dermatologists
• chiropractors

Related sources in the graph

• /sources/cms-pecos →
• /sources/oig-leie →
• /sources/cms-qpp-mips →
• /sources/hrsa-hpsa →

• /sources → The full source library — every dataset Fonteum cites.
• /data-provenance → The provider graph — pipeline diagram, source-family clusters, field-level provenance examples, display rules.
• /methodology → Network-wide sourcing, refresh cadence, and corrections policy.
• /editorial-policy → Independence, sourcing, conflicts, corrections, retractions.