If you are a mental health therapist in private practice, you know that administrative burdens can quickly eat into the time you’d rather spend with clients.

Perhaps you’ve recently taken the excellent step of hiring a professional biller to handle your claims and enrollment. Congratulations! This is a major milestone in professionalizing your practice and reclaiming your time.

However, before your new biller can take the reins on your Medicare enrollment, there is one vital technical hurdle you must clear. Medicare is understandably strict about security; they won't just take a biller’s word for it that they represent you. CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) needs official, digital confirmation from you, the provider, that you have authorized this person to manage your enrollment and assignment.

You cannot simply share your login credentials. Instead, you must formally authorize them through the CMS Identity & Access Management System (I&A).

It sounds complicated, but it’s actually a quick process. Here is your guide to authorizing your biller so they can get to work.

The Goal: Granting "Access Manager" Status to your Biller.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To allow your biller to enroll you in Medicare, you need to log into the government portal and officially add them to your "staff" with a specific role called Access Manager. This role gives them the necessary permissions to handle enrollment tasks for your NPI.

Have your NPI Type 1 information handy, along with the specific details provided by your biller (their name, username, and email address).

• Access Your I&A Account. First, you need to log into the CMS Identity & Access Management System.

  • Go to the portal login here: https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/IAWeb/warning.do?fwdurl=/login.do

  • Log in: Use the credentials associated with your NPI Type 1 (your individual provider NPI, not your group NPI).

  • Note: If you have never logged in here before, you will need to create an account using your individual provider information first.

• Navigate to Staff Management. Once you are successfully logged into the I&A portal dashboard:

  • Look for the section labeled “My Staff”.

  • Within that section, click the button that says “Add User

• Add Your Biller and Assign Role. You will now be prompted to enter the details of the person you are authorizing. It is crucial that this information matches exactly what your biller has provided to you. Enter the following Biller Information:

  • Name: ...

  • Username: ...

  • Email: ...

  • Role to Assign: Access Manager

Quick Summary

Task 1: I&A Account Setup

• Where: I&A Portal

• Notes: Create or log into your account using your individual NPI info to manage access.

Task 2: Grant Access to Biller

• Where: I&A Portal → "My Staff" section

• Notes: Click "Add User" and enter the biller's details. Be sure to assign the Access Manager role.

What Happens Next?

Once you have successfully added your biller as an Access Manager, let them know! They will receive an automated notification and will then have the green light to proceed with managing your Medicare enrollment and assignments.

Completing this 10-minute task is the final key to unlocking the benefits of having a professional handle your billing. You can then get back to what you do best: helping your clients.