Taxonomy Codes are a collection of administrative codes used to designate the type of health care practitioner and their area of expertise. They are alphanumeric and have a length of ten characters.
Providers can identify their expertise using taxonomy codes. There is no limit to how many taxonomy codes a provider can have.
There are three levels of taxonomy codes. The provider type, or Level I, is a large collection of healthcare professionals. Dentists, Osteopathic Physicians, and Chiropractors, for example.
Level II is a more particular service or occupation associated with the provider type, such as classification.
The Area of Specialization is Level III. This is a more specific section of the classification where a provider decides to practice or deliver services. The sub-specialty certificate is frequently used to determine this.
Taxonomy codes allow providers to define their expertise at the claim level, which might have a direct impact on your insurance reimbursement. If your NPI number is connected to an incorrect taxonomy code, your services may be reimbursed at a lesser rate or refused entirely by an insurance provider.
You can select more than one taxonomy code if you have multiple specialties. If you have more than one physical therapy taxonomy code in the NPI system, you must specify which one is the primary.
How do I find my taxonomy code?
Use the National Uniform Claim Committee (NUCC) code setlist to discover the taxonomy code that best describes your provider type, categorization, or specialization.
When applying for an NPI, you may choose more than one code or code description, but only one must be designated as the primary code.
How can I access the taxonomy code data set?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has produced a crosswalk of taxonomy codes that connects the categories of providers and suppliers who are eligible to apply for Medicare enrollment with the relevant Healthcare Provider Taxonomy Codes. View the entire data set at data.cms.gov, where you may choose from a variety of download formats.