What Every Medical Professional Should Know About the NPDB

 Posted on June 06, 2022 in Medical License Defense

In 1986, Congress passed the Title IV of Public Law 99-660, the Health Care Quality Improvement Act. Included in the law was the establishment of the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), which serves as a federal repository of health care providers in the U.S. The law requires reporting of any hospital, licensure, or professional society actions against doctors, dentists, and other healthcare professionals. It is important for any healthcare professional to be aware of the NPDB and what may be required of them.

What Type of Information Is Reported to the NPDB?

Under the law, the following information is required to by reported to the NPDB by specific health care entities:

• Any medical malpractice payments made on a healthcare professional’s behalf, including out-of-court settlements

• Any adverse action taken against a healthcare professional’s license or loss of that license

• Any punitive finding or action by the state license board or certification authority

• Any adverse actions against a healthcare professional’s clinical privileges

• Any adverse actions on a healthcare professional’s society membership

• Any adverse finding or action by a state or federal licensing agency that is publicly available

• Any exclusion from state or federal healthcare programs

• Any civil judgments that are healthcare-related

• Any criminal convictions that are healthcare-related

Impact of NPDB Reports

NPDB reports are available to healthcare plans, hospitals, licensing boards, and other healthcare entities that may be considering entering into some sort of affiliation with the healthcare professional. Many facilities often use these reports when considering hiring a professional. A report from the NPDB can result in limitation or loss of professional license, denial of credentialing, exclusion in healthcare plans, and an increase in insurance premiums.

Healthcare professionals do have access to any reports that allege the professional has adverse reports against them. The professional also has the right to check to see what entities have received these NPDB reports against them.

If the report is wrong, the professional can take steps to ask the reporting party to correct the report. The professional also has the right to add a statement to the report explaining the incident/events that are contained in the report.

Contact an Illinois Professional License Defense Lawyer

If you have discovered that the NPDB contains reports on you, it is important to contact an Illinois medical license defense attorney to find out what steps you can take to defend yourself. Your career and your future depend on it. Call The Law Offices of Joseph J. Bogdan, Inc. at 630-310-1267 to schedule a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/national-practitioner-data-bank

https://www.npdb.hrsa.gov/resources/titleIv.jsp