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Credentialing in a free clinic

Credentialing Resource Center Connection, October 20, 2004

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Dear Credentialing colleague:

Please feel free to forward this letter to a friend or associate who works in a free clinic, because the provisions of section 194 of the HIPPA act may benefit them.  This section of HIPPA was designed to alleviate one of the more costly issues faced by free clinics-- malpractice insurance for the physician and others volunteers who provide care to the uninsured. 

Now, under this new section (go to http://www.bphc.hrsa.gov/freeclinicsftca/application.htm for more information) clinics may qualify to have the federal government assume all responsibility for malpractice coverage for these individuals. In order to qualify for this funding, however, clinics must establish or align their credentialing programs in accordance with specific requirements that are spelled out in the new regulations.

These requirements should not be difficult for free clinics to meet, but they may need assistance from the credentialing professional at your hospital.  Issues such as primary source verification, National Practitioner Data Bank, health status, etc., may seem old-hat to your credentials committee members, but to a person performing multiple jobs at a free clinic they can be daunting.

Adopt a clinic and help them establish a credentialing program that allows them to benefit from the malpractice relief afforded in section 194 of the HIPPA act.

That's it for today

Hugh Greeley

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