Health Care Law Blog

The Updated April 2015 National Practitioner Data Bank Guidebook has been Released

The DHHS Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) has finally published the new National Practitioner Data Bank (“NPDB”) Guidebook.  The original Guidebook had not been updated since September 2001. 

The updated April 2015 NPDB Guidebook is available here.

The new Guidebook extensively covers the changes resulting from the 2013 merger of the NPDB and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (“HIPDB”).  The HIPDB was a separate data bank that received and disclosed reports of final adverse actions by federal and state agencies and health plans against practitioners, entities, providers, and suppliers.  After the merger, there were significant changes in the entities eligible to query and report, as well as the individuals and entities subject to reports.  Read More ›

Categories: Criminal, Hospitals, Licensing, News & Events, Physicians, Providers

Contact Author

Share  | 

Cyberattacks on Hospitals – A Growing Epidemic

As hospitals and doctors across the country become more technologically sophisticated and use more and more medical devices that are connected to the Internet in some fashion, they are increasingly being attacked and compromised by sophisticated cyberattacks. Attacks on US hospitals’ medical data – which put patient records and personal information at risk – have more than doubled since 2010, according to a new study by the Ponemon Institute.

In its report, the Ponemon Institute states that 90 percent of health care institution respondents had at least one data breach in the last two years, while 38 percent had more than five data breaches during that same time period. While many of these breaches stemmed from lost or stolen computers, technical glitches, and third-party problems, several were due to criminal attacks. Read More ›

Categories: Criminal, Electronic Health Records, Hospitals, Privacy

Contact Author

Share  | 

Physicians Following Michigan Medical Marihuana Laws May Still Face Federal Criminal Charges

While most of the media attention related to medical marihuana has been focused on employment issues and the location of marihuana dispensaries, a Michigan physician is also receiving some press because of criminal charges recently filed against her.

On April 15, 2011, as part of a Drug Enforcement Agency ("DEA") investigation into Dr. Ruth A. Buck's potential prescription drug crimes, the DEA also charged Dr. Buck criminally with aiding and abetting the distribution of marihuana. Read More ›

Categories: Criminal, Physicians

Contact Author

Share  |