When physicians apply for licensure, there are several verifications they must provide to a state board to be considered for a state license. One of the most requested verification comes from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB).
The NPDB report shows most liability settlements, judgments, and disciplinary actions in a provider’s practicing history. This also includes any actions against licenses, clinical privileges, and professional society memberships. Federal law requires that all of this information be reported to the NPDB so that there is transparency when a provider applies to hospitals, state license boards, as well as some professional societies and other health care entities. If an NPDB report is required, your first question may be, “how do I obtain it?”. It’s as easy as following these steps:
- Go to http://www.npdb-hipdb.hrsa.gov/index.jsp.
- On the right hand side, click “Start Self Query”
- Click “Start a Self-Query on an Individual”
- Read about the self-query process before checking the box at the bottom of the page and clicking “Continue”
- Complete the questionnaire (the questionnaire will ask for information such as medical school and year of graduation, DEA number, state licenses, etc.)
- After you’ve completed the questionnaire, print a copy.
- Bring the form to be notarized.
- After it’s notarized, send it directly to the NPDB (If you’re working with Barton Associates, we can provide the necessary shipping materials needed for you to send the notarized form to the NPDB).
You will receive an NPDB report in the mail, please DO NOT open it. If you open it, the state licensing board will not accept it. If you do open it, you will be required to request an “emergency” copy through the NPDB’s customer service department. The turnaround time for the “emergency” copy is 7-14 business days. If the notarized report is sent to the NPDB within a few days of completing the online questionnaire, it should be processed and in the mail within three to four weeks. When the NPDB report is required for licensure, we request the provider request it as soon as possible as it takes a long time to receive. For the most part, the NPDB is accurate, but it is also very important to review it periodically for any errors or false reports so there isn’t an issue later on when time is crucial. Think of it as keeping an eye on your medical credit score. Should there be any issues or questions, Barton Associates Licensing and Credentialing teams will be there to assist you every step of the process. For the next blog posting, I will be answering all of your questions on the American Medical Association (AMA) profile.
