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NPDB Insights - June 2025
New Research and Data FAQs and Research Proposal Forms
New FAQs are available on the NPDB Research & Data page.
On this page, learn about the Public Use Data File, Data Analysis Tool and how they can assist with learning and analysis. View the resources section to explore valuable resources like the Research Proposal form.
Is It Reportable?
A defendant health care practitioner agreed to settle a medical malpractice claim in exchange for dismissal from a lawsuit. All parties involved in the lawsuit agreed to the condition. Should the resulting payment be reported to the NPDB?
Yes. Since the payment is the result of the condition that the defendant health care practitioner be dismissed from the lawsuit, the payment can only be construed as a payment for the benefit of the health care practitioner and must be reported to the NPDB.
New Resource for Prosecutors and Attorneys
The NPDB recently published a new resource to help federal, state and local prosecutors who are required to report to the NPDB. Our Prosecutors page provides information on how to register with the NPDB, what must be reported, and how to report.
Prosecutors must report all health care-related criminal convictions against health care practitioners, providers, and suppliers. This includes cases resulting in nolo contendere pleas, deferred convictions, and the placement of defendants in first offender programs. Reports must be submitted regardless of whether the conviction is the subject of a pending appeal.
Information from prosecutors enhances the quality of our reporting data and helps to further patient safety by providing crucial information to health care organizations that license, credential, and make hiring decisions on practitioners, providers, and suppliers.
Visit our Prosecutors page to learn more.
Dear NPDB
My entity has just discovered a reportable action dating back 10 years that was never submitted to the NPDB. Are we obligated to submit a report?
Yes. If your entity discovers documentation of reportable actions that have not been reported to the NPDB, you must submit them as soon as possible, even if the reporting deadline has passed. All required reports must be filed with the NPDB, even if they are submitted after the mandatory 30-day time frame for filing.
Delayed submission of a report does not impact the ability to dispute a report, nor does it invalidate the report itself. Practitioners are still able to dispute a report regardless of when the report is submitted.
Every report submitted to the NPDB provides crucial information for entities making credentialing, licensing, employment, and affiliation decisions. Missing reports can negatively impact the health and welfare of the public when entities make decisions about practitioners without full knowledge of their past actions.
For more information about reporting time frames and reporting legacy information, see the Time Frame for Reporting Section of the NPDB Guidebook. For more information on reporting, see our reporting infographics.
The latest updates and resources are available at https://www.npdb.hrsa.gov.
Previous editions of NPDB Insights are available in our archive.
