Report to the Data Banks

Information that is applicable to practitioners, providers, or suppliers who are licensed or otherwise authorized by a State to provide health care services must be reported to the NPDB, the HIPDB, or both. Eligible entities are responsible for meeting specific reporting requirements and must register in order to submit reports.

Medical Malpractice Payment Reports

Medical malpractice payers must submit reports to the NPDB and to the appropriate State licensing board within 30 days of a payment. The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) has the authority to impose civil money penalties in accordance with Sections 421(c) and 427(b) of Title IV if these reporting requirements are not met. Under the statute, any malpractice payer that fails to report medical malpractice payments in accordance with Section 421(c) is subject to a civil money penalty of up to $11,000 for each such payment involved.

A Draft Medical Malpractice Payment Report form in Microsoft Word format is available. The MMPR form is modeled after the IQRS MMPR Input Form. Users can use the form to gather MMPR data required by the IQRS. For additional information, see the Draft Medical Malpractice Payment Report form (MS Word).

Adverse Action Reports

Hospitals and Other Health Care Entities

Health care entities must report adverse actions within 15 days from the date the adverse action was taken or clinical privileges were voluntarily surrendered. Reporters must provide factually sufficient narrative descriptions in reports to meet the statutory reporting requirements. For additional information, read the Fact Sheet on Submitting a Factually Sufficient Narrative Description PDF Document. The health care entity must print a copy of each report submitted to the NPDB and mail it to the appropriate State licensing board for its use. The Report Verification Document that health care entities receive after the report is successfully processed by the NPDB should be used for submission to the appropriate State licensing board. If the Secretary of HHS determines that a health care entity has failed substantially to report information in accordance with Title IV requirements, the name of the entity will be published in the Federal Register, and the entity will lose its immunity from liability under Title IV with respect to professional review activities for a period of 3 years, commencing 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

State Licensing Boards

State Medical and Dental Boards must submit reports to the NPDB within 30 days from the date the adverse action was taken. Reporters must provide factually sufficient narrative descriptions in reports to meet the statutory reporting requirements. For additional information, read the Fact Sheet on Submitting a Factually Sufficient Narrative Description PDF Document. State Medical and Dental Boards that fail to comply with NPDB reporting requirements can have the responsibility to report removed by the Secretary of HHS. In such instances, the Secretary will designate another qualified entity to report NPDB information.

Professional Societies

Professional societies must report adverse actions within 15 days from the date the adverse action was taken. Reporters must provide factually sufficient narrative descriptions in reports to meet the statutory reporting requirements. For additional information, read the Fact Sheet on Submitting a Factually Sufficient Narrative Description PDF Document. The professional society must print a copy of each report submitted to the NPDB and mail it to the appropriate State licensing board for its use. The Report Verification Document that professional societies receive after the report is successfully processed by the NPDB should be used for submission to the appropriate State licensing board. A professional society that has substantially failed to report adverse membership actions taken against physicians and dentists based on professional competence and conduct can lose the immunity protections provided under Title IV for 3 years.

Judgment Or Conviction Reports

Health care-related civil judgments and criminal convictions that must be reported to the HIPDB include: criminal convictions, civil judgments, injunctions, and nolo contendere/no contest pleas related to health care.

For more details on reporting, refer to the Fact Sheet on Reporting PDF Document, the NPDB Guidebook, and the HIPDB Guidebook.