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Guide for therapists and practice owners

How to Update Your NPI Information, Address and Taxonomy

Log in to NPPES, open Manage NPIs, select Manage and then Edit on your NPI, make the change and submit it. If you send insurance claims electronically, federal rules give you 30 days from the change to report it. Your NPI number stays the same. NPPES does not update Medicare, CAQH or your insurers, so change each of those next, and report a new Medicare practice location within 30 days.

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By Nasar Haq, Founder and CEO, Medtransic. Last reviewed 2026-10-22.

NPPES deadline
30 days
for providers who bill electronically
Medicare location change
30 days
reported separately, in PECOS
Unsubmitted changes
Discarded
after 30 days of inactivity
Paper only
3 changes
date of birth, SSN, reactivation

One address change, four places to update

Illustrative
  1. 1

    NPPES

    within 30 days

  2. 2

    Medicare (PECOS)

    30 days for a practice location

  3. 3

    CAQH profile

    update, then re-attest

  4. 4

    Each insurer

    per your contract

Illustrative. Deadlines from 45 CFR 162.410, 42 CFR 424.516 and DataSpring, read October 22, 2026. Insurer deadlines come from each contract.

Where NPI Updates Go Wrong

The NPPES form is short. The trouble is what it does not do.

A change saved but never submitted

NPPES keeps a saved change as "in progress". After 30 days without activity it treats the request as abandoned and discards it.

Assuming Medicare moved with you

CMS says an NPPES update does not change your Medicare enrollment. A new practice location goes to Medicare separately, through PECOS.

Records that do not match

Your name, SSN, legal business name, tax ID and NPI must match exactly in PECOS and NPPES. Insurers may not recognize you if their records differ from yours.

Staff logging in as you

CMS advises against anyone using a provider's I&A login. A biller or office manager should get their own access through a surrogate or employer connection.

Leaving a group without ending reassignment

Your NPI goes with you, but a Medicare reassignment to the group does not end on its own. CMS says the group stops being paid for your claims only after the termination date.

01Updated in NPPES

Changing Your NPI Address

Every NPI record needs a mailing address and at least one practice location. Both are public in the NPI Registry, and both can be updated at any time. There is no way to hide the record of an active NPI.

Mailing address
Required
may be a PO box
Practice location
Required
where you see clients
Extra locations
Allowed
online; one primary
Public
Yes
no opt-out for active NPIs

If you see clients only by telehealth from home

  • An individual provider with no physical location other than home may list a PO box as the practice location. This rule applies from April 3, 2024.
  • It applies to individual (Type 1) NPIs only, not to a group's NPI.
  • Do not list your home address unless it really is your practice location or mailing address.

Watch forThe NPI Enumerator will not tell you which address to list. Ask the insurers you bill, since their records need to match yours.

02Chosen by you, from the official NUCC list

Which Taxonomy Code Should You Choose?

A taxonomy code names your specialty on your NPI record. You choose at least one and mark one as primary. NUCC, which maintains the list, calls the choice "a business decision" based on your education and training, and says the code does not define your scope of licensure.

On your NPI
At least 1
one marked primary
A change
30 days
to report in NPPES
Original Medicare
Not required
on claims; an invalid code is rejected
Optum commercial
Will require
start date not yet announced

Common codes for mental health and therapy clinicians (NUCC version 26.1)

  • LCSW: 1041C0700X (Social Worker, Clinical)
  • LPC: 101YP2500X (Counselor, Professional); LMHC: 101YM0800X (Counselor, Mental Health)
  • LMFT: 106H00000X (Marriage and Family Therapist)
  • Clinical psychologist: 103TC0700X; psychologist, general: 103T00000X
  • PMHNP: 363LP0808X (Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric/Mental Health); psychiatrist: 2084P0800X
  • BCBA: 103K00000X (Behavior Analyst); BCaBA: 106E00000X (Assistant Behavior Analyst); RBT: 106S00000X (Behavior Technician)
  • Physical therapist: 225100000X; physical therapist assistant: 225200000X
  • Occupational therapist: 225X00000X; occupational therapy assistant: 224Z00000X
  • Speech-language pathologist: 235Z00000X; speech-language assistant: 2355S0801X

Watch forSeveral popular websites, including one Google's AI answer cites, list wrong codes. Check any code on the NUCC list before you save it, and use the same code in NPPES, CAQH and with each insurer.

03Processed by CMS NPI Enumerator Services

Updating Your NPI on the Paper Form (CMS-10114)

You can make any change on the paper NPI Application/Update Form, CMS-10114. Three changes can only be made on paper: date of birth, Social Security number and reactivating an NPI. Online is faster for everything else, CMS says.

Mail to
Baltimore
Mail Stop DO-01-51, 7500 Security Blvd.
Email
Not accepted
questions only
Signature
Ink
no stamps, faxes or copies
Help desk
1-800-465-3203
TTY 1-800-692-2326

How to fill it in

  1. 1.Fill in only the sections that are changing. To remove something, write "Remove" in that field.
  2. 2.Use one form for each NPI, with one reason for submitting.
  3. 3.Sign in ink and mail it to CMS NPI Enumerator Services, Mail Stop DO-01-51, 7500 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244.

Watch forSome older pages, including a few still on cms.gov, give a Windsor Mill or Fargo address. The NPPES help pages and the current form use Baltimore.

04Handled in NPPES for your NPI, PECOS for Medicare

Leaving a Group Practice: Your NPI and Medicare

Your individual NPI belongs to you, not to the group or the location, so it comes with you. Update its address in NPPES. If you billed Medicare through the group, end that reassignment in PECOS or on the CMS-855I.

Leaving Headway, Alma or Grow

Your NPI
Goes with you
one per person
Group's NPI
Stays
it belongs to the group
Reassignment
End it
PECOS or CMS-855I
New location
30 days
to report to Medicare

What the CMS-855I says

  • Either the group signs Section 15C or you sign Section 15B to end the reassignment.
  • After the termination date, the group is no longer paid for your claims.
  • If you stop seeing Medicare clients altogether, CMS says to withdraw within 90 days.

Watch forIf you are leaving Headway, Alma or Grow rather than a group practice, see our separate guide to leaving a platform.

What We Can Update for You, and What Stays With You

Medtransic runs

  • Make the change in NPPES and confirm it shows in the NPI Registry
  • Report the matching change to Medicare in PECOS, inside its deadline
  • Update your CAQH profile and re-attest it
  • Send the new details to each insurer you are contracted with
  • For a group, end or move reassignments for clinicians who leave or join

Your practice keeps

  • Choosing which address and taxonomy to list
  • Signing anything that needs your signature, such as a paper form
  • Your I&A login: CMS asks billers and staff to use their own access instead

What to Update After Your NPI, and By When

NPPES is the first stop, not the only one. Each record below is separate.

  1. 01

    NPPES

    What you report
    Any change to your NPI record: name, address, practice location, taxonomy, contacts
    Deadline
    30 days from the change, for providers who bill electronically
  2. 02

    Medicare (PECOS)

    What you report
    A practice location added, changed or removed; a change of ownership; an adverse legal action
    Deadline
    30 days
  3. 03

    Medicare (PECOS)

    What you report
    All other enrollment changes
    Deadline
    90 days
  4. 04

    CAQH profile

    What you report
    Your locations and other profile details, then a fresh attestation
    Deadline
    Attest at least every 120 days (180 in Illinois)
  5. 05

    Each insurer

    What you report
    Your directory information, when it materially changes
    Deadline
    Set by your contract; federal law requires the update but no general deadline

How to Update Your NPI Information Online

CMS recommends updating online. You need your own I&A account, with multi-factor authentication.

  1. 1

    Log in to NPPES

    Log in on the NPPES website with your I&A user ID and password. Three wrong tries lock the account; call the NPI Enumerator to unlock it.

  2. 2

    Open Manage NPIs

    Select Manage NPIs, then Manage on the row of the NPI you want to change. Users with surrogate or employer access see those NPIs here too.

  3. 3

    Select Edit

    The NPI form opens. Go through the pages and change what has changed, such as an address or your primary taxonomy.

  4. 4

    Submit the change

    On the Submission page, tick the certification statement and select Submit. Saving without submitting leaves the change in progress.

  5. 5

    Check the NPI Registry

    Your record shows as active with a pending change until it is processed. CMS updates the public NPI Registry daily but publishes no processing time.

To change your primary taxonomy code: Manage NPIs, Manage, Edit, then Taxonomy in the left menu. Select Edit on the code you want, tick "Make Primary" and save.

What Stays the Same, and What Needs a New NPI

Most changes are edits to the NPI you already have.

Your NPI number

CMS expects it to stay the same when your name, address or taxonomy changes. It may change only in rare cases, such as some ownership changes or fraud.

One per person

An individual gets one NPI, however many licenses, specialties or locations they have.

Incorporating your practice

A corporation gets its own organization (Type 2) NPI, alongside your individual one. A sole proprietor stays Type 1 and reports an SSN, not an EIN.

Deactivating and reactivating

You can deactivate an NPI online. Reactivation must be requested by mail.

Your client portal, included

Your EHR shows what you billed. Your portal shows what we are doing about it.

Your EHR or practice management system runs your practice, but it does not show you our work. The Medtransic HIPAA Compliant Portal does: every claim and its current stage, the denials we are working, your A/R by age, each payer application and its in-network date, and the documents we still need from you. It is the same record our team works from, and it comes with every client account.

Did that claim get paid?
Every claim with its stage and amount, the denials we're working, and your receivables by age.
Where is my application with Aetna?
Each payer application shows its stage, its history, and the date you can start seeing that payer's patients.
What do you still need from me?
One list of the documents we're waiting on. Upload once, and it reaches every payer that asked for it.
See the client portal →
The billing screen in the Medtransic client portal: totals billed, paid, adjusted and outstanding, a twelve-month chart and A/R by age.
The billing screen. Shown with sample data. It works in any browser, on your desk or your phone. iPhone and Android apps are coming soon.

Doing It Yourself, or Handing It Off

  • A single address change for a solo therapist is a few minutes in NPPES and a few more in PECOS and CAQH. This guide covers it.
  • A group that is moving, adding a location or losing a clinician has many records to change, each with its own deadline. Missing one can stop claims, which is where handing it off helps.

Questions About Updating Your NPI

Do you have to update your NPI address?

Yes, if you send insurance claims or other standard transactions electronically. Federal rules require the change in NPPES within 30 days, and CMS encourages everyone else with an NPI to do the same.

How long does it take for an NPI address to update?

CMS publishes no processing time. Your record shows as active with a pending change until it is processed, and the public NPI Registry is updated daily.

How do I remove my mailing address from my NPI?

You cannot leave it blank: every NPI record needs a mailing address, and active records cannot be hidden. You can change it, and it may be a PO box.

Can I list a PO box as my practice location?

Only if you have an individual NPI and no physical location other than your home, such as a therapist who sees clients only by telehealth from home.

Does my NPI number change when I move?

No. CMS expects your NPI to stay the same through changes of name, address or taxonomy.

Does updating NPPES update Medicare?

No. CMS says an NPPES update does not change your Medicare enrollment. Report the change in PECOS as well.

Can my biller update my NPI for me?

Yes, through their own I&A account with a surrogate or employer connection to you. CMS advises against anyone logging in with your user ID.

What taxonomy code should an LCSW use?

1041C0700X, Social Worker, Clinical, on the NUCC list. LPCs usually use 101YP2500X and LMFTs 106H00000X. You choose the code yourself, based on your education and training.

What taxonomy code does a BCBA use?

103K00000X, Behavior Analyst, on the NUCC list. A BCaBA uses 106E00000X and an RBT 106S00000X. NUCC has no separate code for an ABA agency. Virginia Medicaid, for one, sets its own code for ABA agency claims.

Can you get an NPI before you are licensed?

Yes. CMS says anyone who furnishes health care is eligible, and that students and interns who are not yet licensed should choose the Student, Health Care code, 390200000X. Once you are licensed, change your taxonomy to your license type in NPPES.

What is the NPI Registry?

A public, search-only database of NPI records, updated daily from NPPES. It shows what you, or someone acting for you, reported.

Keep reading

+ Sources: 20 checked 2026-10-22

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