Transforming one of CMS’ most critical platforms meant reimagining how provider data is managed, accessed and secured.
The Challenge
The National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) is the backbone of healthcare identity in the United States, managing unique identifiers for more than 4.7 million providers. But when RELI Group took over as prime contractor, the system was running on outdated infrastructure – slowing operations, creating technical debt, and risking delays in critical services like enrollment, billing and identity management.
CMS needed more than incremental improvements. It needed a modern, scalable, secure system built for long-term agility, operational efficiency and public trust.
Our Solution
RELI led a complete digital transformation of NPPES, moving the legacy system from on-premises Oracle SPARC and IBM mainframe infrastructure to a modern AWS cloud-native platform. Using a hybrid “lift-and-modernize” approach, we redesigned NPPES with scalable microservices, automated DevSecOps pipelines and serverless computing. Performance testing, containerized deployment and auto-scaling made the system more responsive, reliable and cost-effective.
We integrated a new public-facing website and redesigned the API architecture for real-time data access, reducing query times and enabling faster, more accurate data exchange between CMS systems like the Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) and the Integrated Data Repository (IDR). Our ServiceNow-driven customer service enhancements – combined with intelligent dashboards and user-focused feedback loops – resulted in a 96% customer satisfaction rate and an 8.4% reduction in provider calls.
Through a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), we deployed iterative releases, removed 86% of technical debt, and achieved zero production defects across multiple sprints. We also introduced cloud-native monitoring, real-time performance dashboards, and 24/7 operations support for a system used by over 40 million stakeholders.
Real Impact
NPPES now operates as a modern digital platform – faster, more secure and easier to use for providers, payers and CMS administrators. By replacing outdated infrastructure with agile cloud solutions, RELI helped CMS reduce costs, eliminate bottlenecks, and support more informed healthcare decision-making.
What was once a legacy roadblock is now a dynamic, secure and efficient system that powers the healthcare ecosystem from behind the scenes. RELI’s digital transformation of NPPES ensures CMS is ready not just for today’s demands – but for whatever comes next.
