Taxonomy code 172V00000X: Community Health Worker

172V00000X is the NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy code for Community Health Worker, in the group Other Service Providers. It is one of the codes a provider lists on the NPI application to tell CMS and payers what they do.

Code

172V00000X

Grouping

Other Service Providers

Classification

Community Health Worker

Section

Individual

NUCC version

26.1

Definition

Community health workers (CHW) are lay members of communities who work either for pay or as volunteers in association with the local health care system in both urban and rural environments and usually share ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status and life experiences with the community members they serve. They have been identified by many titles such as community health advisors, lay health advocates, "promotores(as), outreach educators, community health representatives, peer health promoters, and peer health educators. CHWs offer interpretation and translation services, provide culturally appropriate health education and information, assist people in receiving the care they need, give informal counseling and guidance on health behaviors, advocate for individual and community health needs, and provide some direct services such as first aid and blood pressure screening. Some examples of these practitioners are Community Health Aides or Practitioners established under 25 USC 1616 (l) under HHS, Indian Health Service, Public Health Service.

NUCC notes: Source: Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services - National Workforce Study on Community Health Workers, March, 2007. [7/1/2007: new] http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/chw/

Get an NPI with this taxonomy

Two free ways. SimpleNPI files the application for you, and a person confirms the taxonomy before filing; the NPI usually arrives by email and text, with all the documentation, within 10 minutes. Or apply yourself at nppes.cms.hhs.gov and type the code into the taxonomy field. First, check the free registry in case you already have an NPI.

Option 1 · Free · Easiest

SimpleNPI files it for you

One short form: name, license, contact, address, identity and an e-signed authorization. About 3 minutes, no CMS account to create.
A person checks your license and address, then files the application with CMS under your signed authorization.
Your NPI arrives by email and text, with all the documentation, usually within 10 minutes. Filed after midnight Eastern? It issues around 6 am Eastern.

Usually within 10 minutes after the form is complete.

Start the free application

Option 2 · Free

Apply yourself at NPPES

Create an Identity & Access account at nppes.cms.hhs.gov.
Choose Apply for an NPI for myself, Individual (Type 1).
Enter identity, addresses, taxonomy code and license number, then certify and submit.

Usually a few business days; often minutes when the Social Security match passes.

Go to NPPES

Questions

Can I change my taxonomy code later?

Yes, for free, in your NPPES account. Add the new code with its license, make it primary, and remove the old one if it no longer applies. The NPI itself never changes.

Does 172V00000X have to match my license?

It should describe the profession your license covers. Payers compare the taxonomy with the license during credentialing, and a mismatch slows that down.

Written by Ammon Hardin, LMT, who grew a massage practice to ten locations, built a veteran therapy network, and credentialed a large number of providers along the way. Updated Tue Oct 27, 2026. Free to read, free to use; SimpleNPI files NPI applications for free.