who is required to have a national provider identifier
All individual HIPAA covered healthcare providers ( physicians , pharmacists , physician assistants , midwives , nurse practitioners , nurse anesthetists , dentists , denturists , chiropractors , clinical social workers , professional counselors , physical therapists , occupational therapists , pharmacy technicians , athletic trainers etc . ) or organizations ( hospitals , home health care agencies , nursing homes , residential treatment centers , group practices , laboratories , pharmacies , medical equipment companies , etc . ) must obtain an NPI for use in all HIPAA standard transactions