About Section 1921

The Data Banks anticipate that the final rules implementing Section 1921 of the Social Security Act will be approved soon and published in the Federal Register. The biggest change associated with Section 1921 is that adverse licensing actions taken against all licensed health care practitioners since January 1, 1992 will be included in the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). Examples of licensed practitioners that are subject to Section 1921 reporting requirements by the State licensing board are: chiropractors, podiatrists, pharmacists, physician assistants, ophthalmologists, professional and paraprofessional nurses, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, and social workers.

This Section 1921 adverse licensure information, along with certain negative actions or findings taken by peer review organizations and private accrediting organizations such as the Joint Commission, National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), URAC, and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, will be available to hospitals. The Data Banks are in the process of developing a strategy to educate the affected entities about Section 1921. Please stay tuned for more information about the implementation date and plan.

Additional Information About Section 1921 PDF Document