HHS rule merges healthcare integrity, practitioner data banks

The final rule, as written in the Federal Register, revises regulations under the Health Care Quality Improvement Act of 1986 and the Social Security Act governing the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), to incorporate statutory requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. HHS also is removing regulations which implemented the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB). The rule goes into effect May 6.

 

All data in the HIPDB will be transferred to the NPDB, and HHS will cease operating the HIPDB when that transition is complete. Information previously collected and disclosed through the HIPDB will be collected and disclosed through the NPDB.

 

The final rule revises the definition of "health care practitioner, licensed health care practitioner, licensed practitioner, or practitioner" to include physicians and dentists.HHS modified language to clarify that a Data Bank report "may not be disclosed, but nothing in this section will prevent the disclosure of information by a party from its own files used to create such reports where disclosure is otherwise authorized under applicable state or Federal law."

 

Click here for the full text of the final rule.