Department of Health and Human Services 

OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL 

JUNE GIBBS BROWN 

Inspector General 

NOVEMBER 1999 

OEI-07-99-00230 

Use Of Universal Product Numbers For 

Medical Equipment And Supplies 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

The mission of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) mandated by Public Law 95-452, as amended 

by Public Law 100-504, is to protect the integrity of the Department of Health and Human Services 

programs as well as the health and welfare of beneficiaries served by them. This statutory mission is 

carried out through a nationwide program of audits, investigations, inspections, sanctions, and fraud 

alerts. The Inspector General informs the Secretary of program and management problems and 

recommends legislative, regulatory, and operational approaches to correct them. 

Office of Evaluation and Inspections 

The Office of Evaluation and Inspections (OEI) is one of several components of the Office of Inspector 

General. It conducts short-term management and program evaluations (called inspections) that focus 

on issues of concern to the Department, the Congress, and the public. The inspection reports provide 

findings and recommendations on the efficiency, vulnerability, and effectiveness of departmental 

programs. 

OEI's Kansas City office prepared this report under the direction of James H. Wolf, Regional Inspector 

General. Principal OEI staff included: 

REGION HEADQUARTERS 

Michael Presley Barrett, Project Leader Stuart Wright, Program Specialist 

Perry Seaton, Team Leader Brian Ritchie, Program Analyst 

Tricia Davis, Program Analyst 

To obtain copies of this report, please call the Kansas City Regional Office at (816) 426-3697. 

Reports are also available on the World Wide Web at our home page address: 

http://www.dhhs.gov/progorg/oei 
EXECUTIVE SUMM ARY 

PURPOSE 

To provide a descriptive summary of the healthcare industry’s use of Universal Product 

Numbers (UPNs) and their potential use by the Medicare program. 

BACKGROUND 

A Universal Product Number (UPN) is a product identifier which is encapsulated in the bar 

code media. A bar code is a medium which allows a number or other information to be read 

automatically by a bar code reader and entered into a computer without having to manually 

type in the data. UPNs can be encapsulated within a number of data structures and can be 

used with or without a bar code. 

All UPNs are variable length alphanumeric strings of either 14 or 20 characters that can be 

used universally as the key identifier on each inventory unit for durable medical equipment and 

supplies. They can also be used as the key identifier to communicate product information 

among all trading partners in the supply chain. A number can be assigned to each packaging 

level (or inventory unit) of each product. 

We based our study on information gathered from manufacturers and suppliers of durable 

medical equipment and supplies who have been using UPNs and bar codes as well as software 

producers and representatives from industry groups. 

FINDINGS 

Universal Product Numbers Are Currently Used By Some Hospitals, Distributors, 

and Manufacturers 

Primary Use -- Supply chain management 

Bar codes are currently being used within the healthcare industry primarily as a mechanism to 

control the supply chain. However, we found UPNs are not used in every situation in which an 

item is bar coded because not all manufacturers assign UPNs to their products. In these 

circumstances, users of bar codes must assign their own proprietary numbers to effectively 

utilize their bar coding systems. 

Hospitals -- Experimenting with bar coding systems 

We identified three hospitals currently using UPNs. They began utilizing UPNs to more 

effectively eliminate waste and overutilization of costly supplies and equipment, assist in 

modifying physician practice patterns, and streamline the patient billing process. 

Use of UPNs 1 OEI-07-99-00230 
Some distributors and manufacturers are currently using bar coding systems 

We identified a number of distributors and manufacturers currently using UPNs to simplify 

ordering systems for customers. At least one large manufacturer also allows customers to find 

products by UPN on their web site. 

UPNs May Be Valuable To Medicare If Impediments Can Be Overcome 

Product Identification 

Most industry members agree that UPNs would allow for a number of advantages to both 

Medicare and the industry as a whole by allowing Medicare to specifically identify the product 

being claimed and provide more efficient edits. They would also aid in fraud and abuse 

detection. 

Impediments to effective use of UPNs 

There are a number of impediments that must be overcome if UPNs are to be utilized 

effectively by the Medicare program. For example, a standard national data repository does 

not exist. In those databases that do exist, there is insufficient detail for full identification of 

product equivalencies, and UPNs are not assigned to all medical equipment and supplies. 

Some manufacturers also have concerns about their responsibility to assign these numbers. 

Furthermore, HCFA currently lacks authority to appropriately control the system. 

CONCLUSION

UPNs, While Promising, Are Not Ready To Be Adopted By The Medicare Program

In order for UPNs to be used by Medicare, it will be necessary to: 

S address the specific impediments discussed above; 

S methodically implement important steps in utilizing UPNs, and conduct periodic 

assessment of their viability; 

S involve all major players fully in the process, including manufacturers, suppliers, 

distributors, the coding industry and HCFA; and 

S provide adequate funding for planning and implementing this program. 

Use of UPNs 2 OEI-07-99-00230 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PAGE 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................... 1

INTRODUCTION ..................................................... 4

FINDINGS .................................................................. 9

Universal Product Numbers Are Currently Being Used By Some Hospitals, Distributors and

Manufacturers .......................................................... 9

Health care entities primarily use UPNs for supply chain management ........ 9

A few hospitals are currently using bar coding systems .................... 9

Some distributors and manufacturers use bar coding systems ............... 10

Users cite a number of concerns about UPNs ................................. 11

UPNs May Be Valuable To Medicare If Impediments Can Be Overcome ........... 12

Product Identification .............................................. 12

Impediments to effective use of UPNs ................................ 13

CONCLUSION ...................................................... 15

Use of UPNs 3 OEI-07-99-00230 
INTRODUCTION 

PURPOSE 

To provide a descriptive summary of the healthcare industry’s use of Universal Product 

Numbers (UPNs) and their potential use by the Medicare program. 

BACKGROUND 

Universal Product Numbers (UPNs) have been in existence for more than 10 years, being used 

for supply-chain management1

, pricing, and billing. While most people recognize the bar code 

used on many products, the UPN is not as familiar. It is a product identifier which is 

encapsulated in the bar code media. A UPN can be used with or without a bar code. A bar 

code is a medium which allows a number or other information to be read automatically by a bar 

code reader and entered into a computer without having to manually type in the data. 

To be useful, product identifiers must be unique. This allows systems to distinguish one product 

at a given packaging level from another. Data processing systems are unaffected by whether 

product identifiers are numeric or alphanumeric, descriptive or encoded, or of fixed or variable 

length. This requirement of uniqueness led to the creation of the UPN, a unique identifier 

combining a manufacturer number, item number, and packaging level information. UPNs can 

be encapsulated within a number of data structures or bar codes. 

All UPNs are variable length alphanumeric strings of either 14 or 20 characters that could be 

used universally as the key identifier on each inventory unit for durable medical equipment and 

supplies. The UPN can change if the product’s characteristics, such as labeling or packaging 

changes (i.e., product color, use of a product trade name, or use of a generic name). It can 

also be used as the key identifier to communicate product information among all trading 

partners in the supply chain (i.e., manufacturer, distributor, supplier, provider, and end user). 

Such a number can be assigned to each packaging level (or inventory unit) of each product. 

Modern data systems accommodate all data types efficiently and, provided one adheres to 

basic design conventions for product identifiers, alphanumeric identifiers do not impact data 

processing procedures. Moreover, information such as manufacturer, item number, and level of 

packaging cannot be extracted from this number to identify individual components. 

1

The term “supply-chain management” refers to the management of the process of manufacturing, 

ordering, distribution, and reordering equipment and supplies utilized by any given company. Because 

many organizations are decreasing or no longer maintaining inventories due to the advent of just-in-time 

inventory control, management of the supply-chain became more important and an increasingly popular 

way to lower costs. 

Use of UPNs 4 OEI-07-99-00230 
The process begins with the manufacturer. First, manufacturers must join one of the two Code 

Councils, the Health Industry Business Communications Council (HIBCC) or the Uniform 

Code Council (UCC). When they do so, they are granted a manufacture number and the right 

to assign a UPN. When manufacturers create new products, or modify existing products, they 

submit a data form to the Code Council of which they are a member. This form contains basic 

information such as the UPN assigned by the manufacturer, the color, name, and unit of 

measure of the product. There is also a field for a description of the product. This field is 

currently 75 characters, but there is discussion to lengthen it to 120 characters. Once this form 

is submitted, the UPN is assigned. HIBCC maintains a database of those UPNs assigned by its 

members. A third party such as a distributor may assign a new UPN to a product if the 

distributor repackages the product with their name on the package. In this case, they become a 

labeler and therefore may be able to assign a new UPN to a product. 

Once a UPN is assigned, the manufacturer generally bar codes the related products. This bar 

code is then scanned by distributors when they receive the package and entered into their 

computer system. They forward the product to the provider which also scans the bar code 

thereby entering it into its computer system. When the product is used by the provider, it scans 

the bar code at the time it is furnished to the beneficiary. This enters the UPN into the 

computer system and tells the computer that one product of this type has been used. In the 

case of just-in-time inventory management, the item is also entered into the reordering system, 

which takes the UPN and returns it in the form of an electronic purchase order to the 

distributor. It forwards the item to the manufacturer which in turn ships out a new product. In 

cases where the provider maintains an inventory, a count of all products is kept on the 

computer system and when the UPN is scanned, it removes one unit of the product from that 

inventory count. When the computer system hits a reorder point, the electronic form is 

produced and submitted to the distributor for filling which then submits the order to the 

manufacturer for shipment of the products. Most organizations use a combination of just-intime inventory control and maintaining a small amount of inventory. Unique identifiers such as 

Universal Product Codes (UPCs) have facilitated the move to just-in-time inventory control in 

retail stores and chains. 

Both code councils use a product “look-up” because it is faster, error-free, and provides a 

reliable source for validating the product identifier after it has been put into the system. This 

means that the system utilizes tables keyed to the complete identifier to look-up either 

component or supplementary information about the product represented by it. To do this 

“look-up,” a repository for all UPNs is needed. This repository is meant to be a master catalog 

of all medical surgical products containing basic data elements such as UPN, manufacturer 

name, description, item number, color, unit of measure, and quantity associated with the unit of 

measure. It is a single place to collect and redistribute the information necessary for the 

healthcare industry to cross-reference manufacturers’ part numbers to UPNs. 

Use of UPNs 5 OEI-07-99-00230 
Problems Identified by The General Accounting Office 

The General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report on UPNs in 1998.2 According to the 

report, “[the Health Care Financing Administration] does not know specifically what Medicare 

is paying for when its contractors process claims for... [durable medical equipment and 

supplies]” and, it noted that Medicare reimburses large suppliers and individual beneficiaries at 

the same rates without regard to discounts many manufacturers give suppliers. Furthermore, it 

noted that Medicare pays approximately $4.6 billion a year for medical equipment, but the 

problem with the current system according to the UPN supporters is the manner in which it is 

paid. Medicare’s payment rates are based on broad product categories called billing codes. 

These codes can contain medical items with more than one price. Within each billing code, 

Medicare pays an average cost based on a complicated formula that essentially averages the 

price so that some products are overpaid and some are underpaid. For example, the GAO 

report stated that there are more than 200 types of catheters. These range in price from $.42 

to $34.95. Medicare paid a little more than $11.00 for each due to the limitation with their 

current coding system. The GAO raised as a possible problem the fact that there is an 

incentive for a hospital to use a $1.00 catheter, submit a claim, and be reimbursed over $11.00. 

Legislative Action on UPNs 

Following the issuance of the GAO report, legislation was introduced in both the Senate and 

the House (S. 256 and H.R. 418) which would require the use of UPNs on all Medicare DME 

claims submitted for payment. The legislation would require that the UPN be accommodated 

on Medicare claim forms by February 1, 2001. It further requires the Secretary to review the 

UPN covered items billed under the HCFA “Common Procedure Coding System and adjust 

such coding system to ensure that functionally equivalent UPN covered items are billed and 

reimbursed under the same codes.” No payment would be made for “any claim for 

reimbursement for any UPN covered item unless the claim contains the universal product 

number of the UPN covered item.” 

The system proposed by the legislation would conceivably initiate a new process of 

reimbursement whereby technology currently being used in most stores would be implemented 

to capture the specific item claimed and then pay the price of the medical equipment or supply. 

HCFA, in its comments to the GAO report, stated that there is insufficient information to make 

the UPN useful to claims processing decisions. It also indicated that “if HCFA required the 

submission of UPNs, it would not have the authority to require manufacturers to reveal what 

each UPN represents [such as product features, manufacturers’ price, purpose and uses of a 

product, HCPCS code with which the UPN would be associated, and the number of items per 

2 Medicare, Need to Overhaul Costly Payment System for Medical Equipment and Supplies, 

GAO/HEHS-98-102. 

Use of UPNs 6 OEI-07-99-00230 
package.]” They also stated that it is possible manufacturers would consider such product 

information proprietary and resist any voluntary requests for information. 

Healthcare Electronic Data Infrastructure Coalition 

The Healthcare Electronic Data Infrastructure Coalition (HEDIC) is an organization whose 

stated mission is to “improve the efficiency of business interaction through the collaborative 

development and optimization of the Electronic Data Infrastructure (EDI) in the healthcare 

industry. This ‘infrastructure’ includes the use of Bar-Codes, Automatic Identification and Data 

Capture, Electronic Data Interchange, Electronic Commerce, and Central Industry Data 

Repositories based on the adoption of universal identification, codification, communication and 

data standards...”[sic]. HEDIC is composed of healthcare providers and their trading partners 

such as healthcare plans, suppliers, data communications services, software developers, 

consulting services, employers and government agencies. 

Uniform Code Council 

The Uniform Code Council, Inc.’s (UCC) purpose is “to take a global leadership role in 

establishing and promoting multi-industry standards for product identification and related 

electronic communication. The goal is to enhance supply chain management thus contributing 

added value to the customer.” The European Article Numbering Association International 

(EAN) and the Uniform Code Council, Inc. are voluntary standards organizations that manage 

the EAN/UCC system. EAN International has a decentralized structure with a membership 

composed of Numbering Organizations that manage the EAN system in a particular country or 

economic region. The UCC manages the numbering system for the U.S. and Canada. The 

EAN International's head office is responsible for coordinating and facilitating activities that deal 

with the development, management and promotion of the EAN/UCC system amongst the 

Numbering Organizations. 

Health Industry Business Communications Council 

The Health Industry Business Communications Council (HIBCC)was founded in 1984 by the 

provider community and its trading partners for the specific purpose of creating a bar code 

labeling standard to meet the needs of hospitals. There were two barriers that inhibited use of 

the technology: (1) there was no standard which accommodated unique product numbering 

schemes prevalent in healthcare; and (2) the high cost, bulk, and inflexibility of bar code 

equipment. 

The HIBCC labeling standard provided flexibility to accommodate various data structures, 

thereby solving the first impediment. Low cost code scanners capable of reading multiple types 

of symbologies and inexpensive high-speed computers capable of storing and retrieving huge 

volumes of information contained in databases have solved the second. The HIBCC and the 

Use of UPNs 7 OEI-07-99-00230 
Uniform Code Council (UCC) have together provided labeling standards that address the 

needs of almost all manufacturers. 

Department of Defense 

About 5 years ago the Department of Defense (DOD) abandoned depot facilities and

commercial distribution centers. During this process they looked to commercial sector

distributors to obtain information on products that did not vary much between distributors and

product with similar qualities from different distributors. DOD’s process of ordering by part

number was not satisfactory because each manufacturer uses their own numbering system. The

DOD needed to use one number for distribution, ordering, and processing shipments

electronically and it needed to be globally recognizable and unique to the product and its

packaging. It tapped into use of the UPN which it found successful in inventory control and

purchasing.

Currently, there are different levels of compliance by DOD vendors. At the shipper level (i.e.,

where the main distributor purchases from the manufacturer directly) there is 75 percent

compliance, but over 95 percent compliance for high volume items. There is less compliance as

the packaging is reduced to the box level and then to the unit of use level. This is what

supporters of UPN legislation hope to fix by requiring the coding of smaller packages or even

the individual items. This could mean more expense for manufacturers. 

The DOD has tested for vendor compliance with its ordering system and has found that

distributors can accept UPNs. It purchases items by the case lots from manufacturers directly

then break it down to the box level for customers. However, it believes that legislation should

require UPNs at every level of packaging. Since 1995, the DOD has been asking

manufacturers to do this. However, it has limited power to require it because its purchases

represent only 4 percent of the market. 

METHODOLOGY 

As part of our development, we carried out extensive research into UPN literature, including 

various articles and product information. We also conducted interviews with a number of 

manufacturers and suppliers of durable medical equipment and supplies who have been using 

UPNs and bar codes, as well as software producers and representatives from industry groups, 

to obtain perceptions of the use of these designations for various programs, particularly claims 

processing and adjudication. Sources of referral for interviews came from industry contacts, 

Federal and State agency discussions, UPN-related conference attendance, and user 

references. We conducted this inspection in accordance with the Quality Standards for 

Inspections issued by the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency. 

Use of UPNs 8 OEI-07-99-00230 
<

<

<

FINDINGS 

Universal Product Numbers Are Currently Used by Some 

Hospitals, Distributors, and Manufacturers 

Health care entities are primarily using UPNs for supply-chain management 

Currently bar codes are being used within the healthcare industry primarily as a mechanism to 

control the supply-chain. However, we found UPNs are not used in every situation in which an 

item is bar coded because not all manufacturers assign UPNs to their products. In these 

circumstances, users of bar codes must assign their own proprietary numbers to effectively 

utilize their bar coding systems. 

< Manufacturers are assigning UPNs to some products. 

According to HEDIC, healthcare manufacturers of medical/surgical supplies are 

already bar coding a UPN on about 70 percent of shipping cases. The 

percentage decreases as packaging levels decrease to box and unit of use. A 

few of the larger manufacturers, however, are bar coding up to 95 percent of 

their products at all packaging levels. The remaining 5 percent are not bar 

coded due to transitions in the companies such as recent acquisitions or 

mergers. 

< Distributors and providers encourage manufacturers to bar code 

products. 

Two providers told us that the efficiencies gained in their system paid for their 

bar coding system within 5 months of implementation. Distributors and 

providers are the most frequent users of bar codes. They use bar codes (with 

and without UPNs) to track orders, increase/decrease inventory, and submit 

orders. One organization representing the distributor industry told us that many 

distributors would be willing to bar code items if HCFA requires their inclusion 

on Medicare claims. 

A few hospitals are currently using bar coding systems in supply-chain 

management and patient care 

We identified three hospitals currently using UPNs. They began utilizing them for the following 

reasons: 

< To more effectively provide services to beneficiaries, while operating 

with fewer resources. 

Use of UPNs 9 OEI-07-99-00230 
<

<

<

<

Due to competition and other factors, hospitals are attempting to eliminate 

unnecessary costs which has led to streamlining the supply-chain. 

< To eliminate waste and overutilization of costly equipment and supplies. 

One hospital uses their bar coding system to determine what supplies a 

particular disease code uses 95 percent of the time. These supplies are then 

packaged together and delivered to the unit where needed. This has eliminated 

multiple trips to unclean areas (e.g., hallways, store rooms), resulting in 

improved patient care. Supplies are still maintained for atypical cases allowing 

the hospital to adjust products as practice patterns or patient needs require. 

< To assist in modifying physician practice patterns. 

Another hospital provides physicians with information about the supplies they 

utilize during particular procedures. When a physician is found to be utilizing 

equipment or supplies that are not cost-effective, staff and physicians meet to 

discuss whether those items are the most appropriate. This often results in 

changes in physician practice patterns. 

< To streamline the billing process. 

A third hospital wanted a more automated system which would require fewer 

employees, fewer mistakes in data entry, and greater accuracy. This hospital is 

using bar codes to enter charge codes into an electronic form which is then 

submitted for payment and printed and sent to the patient. The proprietary 

number used by the hospital is linked to a plain language description of the 

service which assists patients’ understanding of the bills they receive. This 

hospital is not, however, using UPNs, nor is it planning to do so at this time. 

Instead they are focused on patient billing. 

Some distributors and manufacturers are currently using bar coding systems 

We identified some distributors and manufacturers currently using UPNs. At least one large 

manufacturer allows customers to find products by UPN on their web site. 

< Distributors use UPNs to simplify their order systems for customers. 

HIDA told us that many distributors are beginning to use UPNs to aid 

customers in purchasing medical equipment and supplies. UPNs also help them 

track orders in their own inventory systems. The organization is encouraging 

the use of UPNs because they see the industry as moving toward their use. 

One industry group reported distributors are currently bar coding 70 percent of 

shipping and inner packs, but only 25 percent at the unit of use level. Many are 

already making changes to their ordering systems to accommodate bar codes 

and they point out that the American National Standards Institute already has a 

space for UPNs on their insurance claims forms. 

Use of UPNs 10 OEI-07-99-00230 
<

<

<

Some manufacturers are assigning UPNs to their products. 

Some larger manufacturers are assigning UPNs to their products and at least 

one uses UPNs as a look-up number on their web site. 

Users Cite a Number of Concerns about UPNS 

Some users, mainly larger hospital systems, have concerns about bar coding systems and 

UPNs. Some manufacturers also have concerns centering on their responsibility to assign these 

numbers. 

< Hospitals cannot require their suppliers to bar code products. 

As a consequence, hospitals and other providers using bar codes for inventory 

control, utilization, and reordering purposes assign their own codes and affix 

bar codes to these products. This results in additional costs to the hospitals and 

other providers. However, costs associated with product coding should be less 

for a manufacturer capable of working it into their packaging system. Two 

hospitals said they were willing to absorb added cost from manufacturers for 

UPN and bar coding of products and supplies. 

< Implementation of UPNs requires a substantial investment. 

This concern was raised by a number of large hospital systems. These 

providers must change multiple computer systems at different facilities to accept 

the UPN and maintain these systems. 

< Providers’ systems in general are not able to use bar codes. 

Some hospitals told us that their computer systems were still using operating 

systems as old as DOS and that there would need to be large system upgrades 

to utilize bar codes and UPNs. We were unable to find any physician’s 

practice that would be capable of using bar codes or UPNs. 

< Skepticism of the system. 

The accounting department of one facility is skeptical of the system and the 

charges resulting from the system, so the facility hired an auditor to doublecheck all billings as they are produced. 

< Manufacturers are concerned about providing too much information 

about their products. 

At least one manufacturer told us that they were concerned that competitors 

may attempt to submit false information about their products to existing 

databases. The same manufacturer also told us that they did not want to 

provide information that could be used by their competitors against them. They 

also think they should not be required to provide information sufficient to make 

Use of UPNs 11 OEI-07-99-00230 
functional equivalency determinations when the organization making those 

determinations could simply look in a company catalog. 

Sheer Number of Possible UPNs. 

Universal Product Numbers are extremely sensitive. Although the UCC 

recommends not assigning new UPNs for insignificant changes in products, 

there is no prohibition against doing so. As such, the smallest change in the 

product, including color, could result in the issuance of a new UPN. Therefore 

it is possible that as products are updated, redesigned, and modified in other 

ways, a new UPN could be assigned. One manufacturer and HCFA staff are 

concerned that this could result in slight changes for nothing more than 

marketing purposes or to game the system. Attempting to pay based on the 

UPN itself would require a process to consider equivalencies and pricing for 

massive numbers of items either on the repository or coming onto the repository 

at any one time. 

UPNs May Be Valuable To Medicare If Impediments Can Be 

Overcome 

Product Identification 

Most industry members agree that UPNs would allow for a number of advantages to both 

Medicare and the industry as a whole. 

< UPNs would allow Medicare to specifically identify the product being 

billed. 

This would be useful for determining Medicare coverage and appropriate 

payment. 

< UPNs will assure that providers are looking at the same product for 

both payment and medical review of items. 

One hospital system noted they are experiencing problems analyzing the same 

products among each of their 17 facilities. 

< UPNs could provide more efficient edits. 

The ability to specifically identify the product could enable carrier edits to work 

more efficiently. 

< UPNs could aid in fraud and abuse detection. 

Individuals from HCFA and industry told us that UPNs would help detect fraud 

and abuse if the system would provide for the independent and objective 

indexing of the salient characteristics for products. UPNs could also reduce 

Use of UPNs 12 OEI-07-99-00230 
claims fraud. If listed on the claim, the UPN will specifically identify the 

manufacturer and the type of product claimed, as compared to the current 

system which relies on HCPCS codes which are not always product specific. 

The UPN could be a valuable piece of additional evidence when trying to 

prosecute a fraudulent provider. For instance, if the HCPCS for which the 

provider has submitted a claim for payment is not accurate, it could be due to 

the use of a mistaken code. However, when a provider also submits a UPN on 

that claim form, it is more difficult to claim a mistake when the UPN is readily 

identifiable. 

Impediments to effective use of UPNs 

There are a number of impediments that must be overcome if UPNs are to be used by the 

Medicare program. 

< A standard national data repository does not exist. 

Currently there is no nationally recognized database usable by all members of 

the industry. There are a number of smaller databases, but none of them are 

used industry wide. The HIBCC and UCC databases contain fewer than 

500,000 UPNs. Others, such a those developed by Mitch Cooper & 

Associates and St. Alexius Medical Center, are smaller and are not now used 

by the industry as a whole. 

< There is insufficient information contained in the repositories. 

In the HIBCC database, most commonly referred to as an industry standard 

repository, there are only 80 character spaces for descriptive information. The 

industry believes that this amount is sufficient, but those familiar with the current 

databases indicated that it could be increased to 120 characters. Still, some 

HCFA staff believe the available space is insufficient to provide the information 

needed to identify the appropriate HCPCS code or to make determinations 

concerning functional product equivalencies. A separate contractor would be 

needed over and above the carrier to collect UPN data and to build a data 

repository for these codes and their HCPCS equivalents. This would increase 

the integrity of the information available to HCFA as well as assure access to it 

by all providers. HCFA may need to be able to control the information 

required on the database. Because space is limited, some information may be 

of lesser value in determining product equivalencies than other information. 

Further, industry may be reluctant to provide certain data if it is not specifically 

mandated. However, information that HCFA finds of lesser value may be 

needed by other industry members utilizing such a repository and, therefore, 

determination of what information should be required would need to be a 

cooperative effort. 

Use of UPNs 13 OEI-07-99-00230 
< HCFA would need control of the system. 

It may also be necessary for HCFA to be able to control various aspects of the 

implementation of UPNs. Such concerns might include what type of 

information is submitted to the database and the methodology used to assign 

UPNs. Because suppliers vary in size and technology, HCFA may also need 

to control the phasing in of such a system to allow less technical suppliers to 

meet their systems needs. HCFA would also need to be able to determine who 

may assign UPNs to products. This is necessary to ensure that all 

manufacturers are treated fairly and that onerous membership costs and fees 

are not incurred as a requisite to assign a UPN. 

< Many computer systems are inadequate. 

Manufacturers, hospitals, and suppliers all cited inadequate systems as a 

problem. Many hospitals are on older computer systems that would need 

upgrading to accommodate UPNs and bar code technology. Manufacturers 

also would need time to not only change their computer systems, but also their 

packaging processes to accommodate changes in labels and boxes. 

< Bar codes are not applied to all medical equipment and supplies. 

As indicated, UPNs are assigned and bar codes are applied to about 

70 percent of medical/surgical supplies. If Medicare requires the inclusion of 

UPNs on all claims forms, the most troublesome issue is who is required to bar 

code. Manufacturers do not have a direct link to the Medicare program unless 

they are also suppliers. Therefore, if manufacturers decide not to bar code their 

products, suppliers must decide whether to purchase from another 

manufacturer (provided the product is produced by another manufacturer) or 

whether to bar code themselves. As the proposed legislation would require 

manufacturers of medical equipment and supplies to assign UPNs to all their 

products, this would also affect those manufacturers who do not sell products 

to Medicare suppliers. 

< At this time, no payer requires UPNs for claims processing. 

The largest government agency currently utilizing UPNs is the Department of 

Defense. They advised us that the DOD has utilized UPNs for a number of 

years, but only uses them for supply-chain management. We could not identify 

any insurance or government payer currently requiring the inclusion of UPNs on 

claims for payment. The State of California is considering, but has not 

implemented, the use of UPNs in their claims forms. 

Use of UPNs 14 OEI-07-99-00230 
CONCLUSION 

UPNs, While Promising, Are Not Ready To Be Adopted By The 

Medicare Program 

In order for UPNs to be used by Medicare, it will be necessary to: 

S address the specific impediments discussed above; 

S methodically implement important steps in utilizing UPNs, and conduct periodic 

assessment of their viability; 

S involve all major players fully in the process, including manufacturers, suppliers, 

distributors, the coding industry and HCFA; and 

S provide adequate funding for planning and implementing this program. 

Use of UPNs 15 OEI-07-99-00230