HRSA Proposed Rule Will Expand National Practitioner Data Bank´s Reporting Requirements

On March 21, 2006, the Health Resources and Services Administration ("HRSA") of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a proposed rule that incorporates the statutory requirements under Section 1921 of the Social Security Act ("SSA") into the regulations governing the reporting of information to the National Practitioner Data Bank for Information on Physicians and Other Health Care Practitioners ("NPDB"). See 71 Fed. Reg. 14135. This proposed rule would revise existing regulations, 45 C.F.R. Part 60, to require each state to adopt a system of reporting adverse licensure actions taken against healthcare practitioners and healthcare entities to the Secretary of Health and Human Services ("Secretary"). If you wish to comment about the HRSA's rule proposal, HRSA is accepting comments through May 22, 2006.