What happens if a claim for physical therapy services is missing the required national provider identifiers?

When a claim for physical therapy services is missing the required national provider identifiers (NPIs), the claim is generally rejected, and the healthcare program is not obligated to pay the claim. NPIs are crucial in the healthcare billing process as they serve to identify healthcare providers in standard transactions. If these identifiers are absent, it can lead to issues such as identifying the provider correctly and validating their eligibility to provide the services listed in the claim.

In the context of healthcare services, maintaining proper documentation and meeting the requirements for claims submission is paramount. Claims that do not adhere to these requirements, including the absence of NPIs, typically cannot proceed with payment processing. Therefore, option C accurately reflects the process that occurs when a claim is non-compliant due to missing NPIs.

The other possibilities, while they might seem plausible, do not align with standard billing practices in healthcare. Claims cannot simply be accepted without the necessary identifiers, nor can payment be mandated without compliance. Additionally, although claims can sometimes be resubmitted after correction, immediate payment is not standard procedure for non-compliant claims, and such claims do not get paid simply on a delayed submission if they lack fundamental requirements.