Block 17b on the CMS-1500 form contains which information?

Block 17b on the CMS-1500 form contains which information?

• A. The patient's secondary insurance ID
• B. The referring physician's National Provider Identifier (NPI)
• C. The primary diagnosis code
• D. The facility's tax ID

Answer: (B)

Block 17b contains the referring physician’s National Provider Identifier (NPI). The CMS-1500 uses this area to record the physician or supplier information related to the referral, and the NPI is a unique 10-digit identifier assigned to healthcare providers under HIPAA. Including the referring physician’s NPI ensures the payer can accurately link the claim to the correct clinician who referred the patient, aiding proper attribution, payment, and care coordination. The other items listed appear in different parts of the form: the patient’s secondary insurance ID is captured elsewhere, the primary diagnosis code goes in the diagnosis area, and the facility’s tax ID is used for the facility’s billing but is not the referring clinician’s identifier.

Block 17b contains the referring physician’s National Provider Identifier (NPI). The CMS-1500 uses this area to record the physician or supplier information related to the referral, and the NPI is a unique 10-digit identifier assigned to healthcare providers under HIPAA. Including the referring physician’s NPI ensures the payer can accurately link the claim to the correct clinician who referred the patient, aiding proper attribution, payment, and care coordination. The other items listed appear in different parts of the form: the patient’s secondary insurance ID is captured elsewhere, the primary diagnosis code goes in the diagnosis area, and the facility’s tax ID is used for the facility’s billing but is not the referring clinician’s identifier.