Little Health Law Blog
Every medical practitioner is familiar with the National Practitioner Data Bank (“NPDB”). Under federal regulations, eligible entities report to or query the NPDB. State medical boards report 
adverse licensure actions to the NPDB. This includes such actions as a denial of a licensure application or voluntary surrender of a medical license. Sometimes, however, the information reported to the NPDB is inaccurate in whole or in part. Inaccurate reports can have serious adverse impacts on a medical provider’s ability to practice, maintain privileges, or gain licensures. Our healthcare law firm works with healthcare provider clients to try and correct their NPDB record when the provider believes the information provided by a medical board is inaccurate using statements and correction reports.
Submitting a Statement
The NPDB allows practitioners to submit statements at any time to explain or supplement a report. According to the NPDB, the statement is the provider’s “opportunity to provide additional information [the provider] would like included with the report.” A statement does not correct or void a reporting by a medical board, but it is a useful tool for a provider to explain an adverse licensure action when that is necessary. Further, statements can be submitted or edited at any time, so the efficiency of a statement makes it a useful tool even if the provider is also asking a medical board to submit a correction report.
Submitting a Correction Report
If there is an error or omission in a previously submitted report by a medical board, the medical board may submit a correction report to the NPDB, which, unlike the statement, fully replaces the inaccurate report. The corrected report will, however, reflect that it is a “corrected” report. Correction reports are easily and routinely submitted and are submitted in largely the same way all reports are submitted through NPDB’s IQRS system, following the prompts to file a correction report.
In our firm’s experience with medical boards, including the Georgia and Mississippi medical boards, the full board must approve of a correction report before one may be submitted to the NPDB. As such, the general process is for a provider, or her or his attorney, to submit a petition for the board to submit a correction report and then wait for the board’s next meeting to review the petition. The petition should explain the reasons why the provider believes the report is inaccurate and, preferably, offer a written corrected reporting. If approved, the board will submit the correction report.
Providers are able to access their reports on the NPDB’s website and should monitor their profile to ensure proper reporting. If you review your report and believe there is a discrepancy or inaccuracy you wish to correct, our healthcare law firm is here to help. Our attorneys are experienced in advising clients on NPDB and other medical board, licensure, and reporting matters. If you have questions about or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare and business law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.
*Disclaimer: Thoughts shared here do not constitute legal advice.