Total Health Law Blog
Our healthcare and business law firm consistently works with physicians who are dealing with complications resulting from adverse reporting to the National Practitioner Data Bank (“NPDB”) as well as entities in deciding what reports may be appropriate for certain situations. Whether you are on the side of the provider or reporting entity, it is important to understand the types of NPDB reports that are permitted. This post outlines the four types of reports. If you have a question about the NPDB 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@hamillittle.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.hamillittle.com.
Each reporting organization has the ability to submit four types of reports: an Initial Report, a Correction Report, a Void Report, and a Revision-to-Action Report.
Initial Report
An Initial Report is the first report of a medical malpractice payment, adverse action, or judgment or conviction that is submitted by a reporting entity to the NPDB. Copies of an initial report are provided to the subject and reporting entity. Certain reports must also be reported to an appropriate state licensing board.
Revision-to-Action Report
A Revision-to-Action Report is relevant when there has been a subsequent action to the Initial Report, such as a probationary period ending. The Revision-to-Action Report is treated as a separate action that is related to the previous action. The Initial Report and the Revision-to-Action Report both appear on the practitioner’s records. Reporting entities do not need to submit a Revision-to-Action Report when the subject of the report will be reinstated automatically after the adverse action period is complete and the reporting entity notates this on the initial action.
Correction Report
A Correction Report is appropriate if there is an error or omission in a previously submitted report. In this case, the reporting organization can file an updated and corrected report. The Correction Report takes the place of the Initial Report, removing the Initial Report from the disclosable record. 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 the NPDB’s Integrated Querying and Reporting Service (IQRS) system, following the prompts to file a correction report.
Void Report
A Void Report is a withdrawal of the subject report in its entirety. A Void Report is appropriate if the report was submitted in error, it is not reportable under reporting requirements, or the action was overturned. When a report is successfully voided, the NPDB provides notification of the successfully void (called a Report Void Confirmation) to the reporting entity, the subject, and all queriers who received the previous version of the report within the past three years. Those queriers are directed to destroy the prior report and any copies they have. When dealing with an inaccurate report that the practitioner wishes to be removed from his or her record, the relevant reports are generally going to be a Correction Report and Void Report.
If you have a question about the NPDB 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@hamillittle.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.hamillittle.com.
*Disclaimer: Thoughts shared here do not constitute legal advice.