Free tool · CMS NPPES registry
NPI Lookup — Dr Name Search
Physician NPI lookup and doctor name search powered by the CMS NPPES National Plan and Provider Enumeration System. Enter a name — with or without the “Dr” prefix — an NPI number, or an organization. Field-level source provenance on every result.
Enter an NPI number or doctor name to search the CMS NPPES registry.
Search by doctor name
This tool accepts physician names with or without a “Dr” or “Dr.”prefix. Typing “Dr Sarah Chen” is equivalent to typing “Sarah Chen” — the honorific is stripped automatically before the CMS NPPES query runs. The same applies to “Doctor” spelled out.
This MD NPI lookup, DO NPI search, and general physician NPI lookup covers every healthcare provider enumerated in NPPES — individual practitioners (Type 1) and group organizations (Type 2). Use the provider type filter to restrict results to individuals when doing a doctor NPI search by name.
For common names, adding a specialty — for example, “Sarah Chen Cardiology” — helps narrow the results without leaving the search box.
How it works
- Enter a 10-digit NPI number for an exact match, or a provider or organization name (minimum 2 characters).
- Fonteum queries the CMS NPPES NPI Registry public API in real-time — no intermediary database, no cached copy. Results reflect the current federal record.
- Each result displays: provider name, NPI, entity type (Individual or Organization), primary specialty and taxonomy code, practice address, enumeration date, and last-updated date from NPPES.
- Where available, Fonteum overlays the CMS MIPS quality score (QPP PY2023) from our local federal dataset enrichment layer.
- Every result carries a provenance badge: source name, authority, and fetch timestamp.
Frequently asked questions
What is an NPI number?
A National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a unique 10-digit identification number issued to healthcare providers in the United States by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Every covered healthcare provider must have an NPI. Individual clinicians receive a Type 1 (NPI-1) number; organizations and group practices receive a Type 2 (NPI-2) number.
What is NPPES and where does this data come from?
NPPES stands for the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, maintained by CMS. It is the official federal registry for all U.S. healthcare provider NPI numbers. Fonteum queries the NPPES NPI Registry public API in real-time, so results reflect the current state of the federal database. Data is US-Government-Works (public domain).
How do I look up an NPI number by name?
Enter the provider's first and last name (e.g. 'John Smith') or an organization name (e.g. 'Mayo Clinic') in the search box. You can also filter by provider type — Individual or Organization. For an exact match, enter the 10-digit NPI number directly. Results include specialty, location, enumeration date, and last updated date from the federal NPPES registry.
What does the MIPS score on a provider result mean?
When available, Fonteum overlays the CMS Quality Payment Program (QPP) MIPS final score for the provider. MIPS (Merit-based Incentive Payment System) is a federal program that scores eligible clinicians on quality, cost, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability. A higher score indicates better performance on these federal quality measures. Scores shown are for performance year 2023 from the CMS QPP public dataset.
How do I do a dr NPI search?
Type the doctor's name exactly as you would say it — with or without the 'Dr' or 'Dr.' prefix. The search tool automatically strips the honorific before querying the CMS NPPES registry, so 'Dr Sarah Chen' and 'Sarah Chen' return the same results. You can also add a specialty keyword to narrow results.
Can I search NPI by doctor name?
Yes. Enter the doctor's first and last name in the search box — the tool performs a physician NPI lookup against the CMS NPPES registry in real-time. For common names, adding a city or specialty helps narrow results. For an exact match, use the 10-digit NPI number directly.
Is dr NPI search free?
Yes, the dr NPI search tool on Fonteum is completely free. No account, no subscription, and no API key required. The underlying data is U.S. Government-Works public domain, sourced directly from the CMS NPPES NPI Registry.
What does NPI stand for?
NPI stands for National Provider Identifier. It is the standard unique identifier for healthcare providers in the U.S., required under HIPAA for all covered healthcare entities. The 10-digit number is assigned by CMS and used across insurance claims, billing systems, and federal databases.
How is Fonteum's dr NPI search different from npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov?
Both tools query the same underlying CMS NPPES data. Fonteum adds two layers not available on the official registry: (1) a MIPS quality score overlay from the CMS Quality Payment Program dataset, giving each physician a performance signal; and (2) field-level source provenance on every result, showing which federal dataset each data point came from and when it was last refreshed. Fonteum also accepts 'Dr' name prefixes and strips them automatically.
Source & limitations
Data source: CMS NPPES National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Public domain (US-Government-Works). Fonteum queries the NPPES public API in real-time; no data is cached on Fonteum servers.
Limitations:NPPES records reflect provider self-attestation and are not independently audited by CMS for accuracy of specialty, address, or status. Deactivated NPIs may still appear in search results. Address data reflects the provider’s registered practice location, which may differ from current practice. MIPS scores are available only for individual clinicians who participated in the QPP PY2023 program.
Free to cite with attribution to Fonteum Research and a link to this tool.