TL;DR — The CMS-855B enrolls a group practice or organization as a Medicare billing entity. It covers the organization only: each provider inside the group still needs their own CMS-855I enrollment plus a CMS-855R reassignment linking them to the group. Plan 2–3 hours to complete and 60–90 days of processing. The CMS-855B enrolls organizations and group practices in Medicare as billing entities. If your practice bills Medicare under a group or organizational NPI — rather than under each individual provider’s NPI separately — you need the CMS-855B.

This is the organization’s enrollment, distinct from the individual providers within it. Individual providers within the group still need their own CMS-855I and must file a CMS-855R to reassign their benefits to the organization. The CMS-855B handles the organization itself.

Who needs the CMS-855B

Your organization needs the CMS-855B if it is:

A physician group practice (two or more physicians billing under a shared group NPI)
A clinic or multi-specialty practice
A non-physician practitioner (NPP) organization (e.g., an NP group, PA group, therapy practice)
A physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology practice (organization level)
A mental health group practice
A chiropractic organization
Any other non-institutional, non-DMEPOS organization seeking Medicare billing privileges

CMS-855B is not used for:

Individual providers billing under their own NPI (use CMS-855I)
Hospitals, SNFs, HHAs, hospices (use CMS-855A)
DMEPOS suppliers (use CMS-855S)

Before you file: prerequisites

Active Type 2 NPI for the organization. The organization’s Type 2 NPI must be assigned in NPPES with the correct legal business name and taxonomy. Type 2 NPI guide →
Legal business structure. Have your EIN (Employer Identification Number) and legal business name ready. Both must match IRS records exactly.
At least one individually enrolled provider. At least one individual provider must be enrolled (or simultaneously enrolling) via CMS-855I, and must file a CMS-855R to reassign benefits to this organization.
Physical practice location(s). CMS requires a physical, non-P.O. Box address for each practice location.
Authorized official. An individual with legal authority to bind the organization must sign. For corporations, this is typically the CEO, CFO, president, or a managing partner.

Step-by-step: Filing via PECOS (recommended)

Step 1: Log in to PECOS pecos.cms.hhs.gov — use your organization’s I&A account. The I&A account for the organization is separate from individual provider I&A accounts. Creating a PECOS account →

Step 2: Start an organization enrollment Select “Organization Enrollment.” Enter your Type 2 NPI. PECOS will pull in your NPPES data — verify the legal name, address, and taxonomy match exactly.

Step 3: Section 1 — Organization information

Legal business name (must match IRS EIN exactly)
Employer Identification Number (EIN)
“Doing business as” name (if different from legal name)
Type of organization (e.g., group practice, clinic, solo practitioner organization)
Date of incorporation/organization

Step 4: Section 2 — Practice location(s) For each location where the organization provides services:

Physical address (no P.O. Boxes)
Phone and fax
Specialty/taxonomy for that location
Whether it’s the primary location

Step 5: Section 3 — Correspondence address Where all official CMS and MAC communications go. Keep this current — revalidation notices are mailed here.

Step 6: Section 4 — Ownership and managing control This section is significant and often underestimated. You must disclose:

All individuals with 5% or more ownership interest
All managing employees (individuals with operational or financial control)
All related organizations (organizations with common ownership)
Any organizations in which owners/managing employees have 5%+ ownership

Be thorough. Undisclosed ownership information is a basis for revocation.

Step 7: Section 5 — Adverse legal history All adverse actions against the organization and any disclosed owners/managing employees. Past Medicare or Medicaid exclusions, convictions, license revocations.

Step 8: Section 6 — Chain of ownership (if applicable) If your organization is part of a larger chain or parent company, this section documents the ownership chain.

Step 9: Upload supporting documentation Typically required:

IRS CP-575 or IRS determination letter (proof of EIN)
Articles of incorporation or organization agreement
State business license
Proof of liability insurance for the organization

Step 10: Authorized official signature The authorized official must sign electronically in PECOS (or in wet ink on paper). The authorized official cannot also be the delegated official — these are separate roles in PECOS.

The ownership/managing control disclosure: what providers get wrong

Section 4 trips up more CMS-855B filings than any other section. CMS uses this information for program integrity purposes — they want to know if anyone with ownership or control has a history of Medicare fraud.

Who counts as a managing employee:

General managers
Business managers
Practice administrators
Anyone with authority over financial decisions, hiring, or compliance
This is broader than your org chart suggests

Who counts as an owner:

Anyone with 5% or more direct ownership
Anyone with 5% or more indirect ownership (through intermediate entities)
Spouses and immediate family members of direct owners (in some circumstances)

⚠️ Related organizations disclosure. If an owner of your practice also owns 5%+ of another healthcare entity that bills Medicare, that entity must be disclosed. This catches multi-entity arrangements, real estate companies owned by practice owners, staffing companies, etc.

⚠️ Risk flags

⚠️ EIN/legal name mismatch with IRS records. CMS validates your EIN against IRS records. The legal business name must match exactly — including punctuation, abbreviations (Inc. vs. Incorporated), and spacing. A mismatch causes rejection. Check your IRS CP-575 letter before filing.

⚠️ P.O. Box as practice address. CMS requires a physical, verifiable practice location. Applications with P.O. Box practice addresses are returned.

⚠️ Incomplete ownership disclosure. Failing to disclose all owners and managing employees — whether from oversight or intent — is grounds for denial and OIG referral. When uncertain, disclose and explain in comments.

⚠️ No linked individual providers. An organization cannot bill Medicare if no individual providers have reassigned their benefits to it. Submitting the CMS-855B without any linked CMS-855R filings results in an enrolled organization with no billing capacity.

Common errors

Error: PECOS can’t find the organization NPI Cause: NPI was recently assigned or taxonomy code in NPPES doesn’t match the enrollment. Fix: Verify NPI at nppes.cms.hhs.gov. Wait 24 hours after NPPES changes before filing PECOS.

Error: Authorized official rejected Cause: Person signing isn’t recognized as having legal authority for this organization type. PECOS validates authorized officials based on organization type. Fix: Confirm which title/role qualifies as authorized official for your organization structure. Sole proprietors, partners, and corporate officers qualify; practice managers typically do not.

Error: Application returned for missing IRS documentation Cause: MAC couldn’t verify EIN/legal name. Fix: Include IRS CP-575 letter or a recent IRS EIN confirmation letter with every paper submission. In PECOS, upload the document in the supporting documentation section.

Processing timeline

Filing method	Typical processing time
PECOS electronic	60–90 days
Paper CMS-855B	90–180 days

Organization enrollments are often slower than individual enrollments because the MAC performs ownership verification that individual enrollments don’t require.

What happens after approval

Organization receives its PTAN (organizational)
Individual providers must file CMS-855R to reassign benefits to the organization
Organization sets up EFT via CMS-588
Claims can be submitted under the organization’s NPI once reassignment is confirmed

CMS-855I — Individual Provider Enrollment — each provider within the group
CMS-855R — Reassignment of Medicare Benefits — links individual providers to this organization
CMS-588 — EFT Authorization
Group Practice Enrollment Overview
NPI for Groups

Questions about your group’s enrollment structure? Ask Mae → Free enrollment audit to confirm your organization’s Medicare status: Metolius Health →