Petition to HHS to Close the Corporate Shield Loophole for Reporting Medical Practice Payments to the NPDB
Public Citizen petitioned the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to close a loophole — known as the “corporate shield” loophole — that has allowed physicians and other health care providers to evade having medical malpractice payment reports submitted to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). Such evasions deprive users of the data bank, such as hospitals and state licensing boards, of important information about health care providers and jeopardize patient health and welfare.
June 16, 2014, Initial response from the Health Services and Resources Administration
July 26, 2016, Public Citizen files lawsuit to compel HHS and HRSA to act on the petition
September 21, 2016, Final response from the Health Services and Resources Administration denying the petition
September 22, 2016, Press Statement: Patient Safety Threatened by HHS Refusal to Close Dangerous Loophole That Allows Health Care Providers to Evade Malpractice Reporting