National Practitioner Data Bank Continues Temporary Waiver of User Fees for Eligible Entities
| Citation | 85 FR 40303 |
| Record Number | 2020-14291 |
| Published date | 06 July 2020 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Health Resources And Services Administration |
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 129 (Monday, July 6, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 129 (Monday, July 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 40303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14291]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
National Practitioner Data Bank Continues Temporary Waiver of
User Fees for Eligible Entities
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department
of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to its authority under Federal regulations for the
National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), HRSA's Division of Practitioner
Data Bank announces a continuation of its temporary waiver of user fees
for NPDB queries from March 1, 2020, through September 30, 2020, to
support our eligible entities in making credentialing, hiring,
privileging, and licensing decisions in combatting the COVID-19
pandemic. The waiver includes all one-time queries and continuous
queries during the waiver time period. Fees for self-queries will not
be waived. The NPDB is a confidential information clearinghouse created
by Congress and is intended to facilitate a comprehensive review of the
professional credentials of health care practitioners, entities,
providers, and suppliers. In response to President Trump's declaration
of a national emergency and associated emergency declarations by all
states, the Federal Government, state governments, and many health care
entities have taken unprecedented steps regarding licensure portability
and the deployment of health workforce resources, including the
expansion of telemedicine and granting of disaster privileges. HRSA's
NPDB is in a unique position to temporarily waive fees, granting NPDB
access to the nation's hospitals, health centers, health plans, state
licensing boards, Federal agencies, and other eligible health care
entities in support of their efforts to mobilize and appropriately
deploy health workforce professionals.
DATES: The NPDB waiver announcement published on April 17, 2020 (85 FR
21447), was effective retroactively from March 1, 2020, through May 31,
2020. This update continues the waiver through September 30, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Loewenstein, Director, Division
of Practitioner Data Bank, Bureau of Health Workforce, HRSA, (301) 443-
2300, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPDB will waive fees retroactively from
March 1, 2020, through September 30, 2020, for eligible entity queries
(one-time query and continuous query). The NPDB will not refund the
cost of queries performed prior to the announcement of the waiver, but
will issue query credits to reimburse entities for one-time and
continuous queries performed and paid for during the waiver period.
Regulations regarding the NPDB are codified at 45 CFR part 60.
Thomas J. Engels,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-14291 Filed 7-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P
