---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 11131"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "11131"
heading: "Requiring reports on medical malpractice payments"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/11131"
units:
  - "Chapter 117 — Encouraging Good Faith Professional Review Activities"
  - "Subchapter II — Reporting of Information"
---

# §11131. Requiring reports on medical malpractice payments

- (a) **In general—** Each entity (including an insurance company) which makes payment under a policy of insurance, self-insurance, or otherwise in settlement (or partial settlement) of, or in satisfaction of a judgment in, a [medical malpractice action or claim](/usc/42/11151.md?p=7) shall report, in accordance with [section 11134 of this title](/usc/42/11134.md), information respecting the payment and circumstances thereof.
- (b) **Information to be reported—** The information to be reported under [subsection (a)](#a) includes—
  - (1) the name of any [physician](/usc/42/11151.md?p=8) or [licensed health care practitioner](/usc/42/11151.md?p=6) for whose benefit the payment is made,
  - (2) the amount of the payment,
  - (3) the name (if known) of any [hospital](/usc/42/11151.md?p=5) with which the [physician](/usc/42/11151.md?p=8) or [practitioner](/usc/42/11151.md?p=6) is affiliated or associated,
  - (4) a description of the acts or omissions and injuries or illnesses upon which the action or claim was based, and
  - (5) such other information as the [Secretary](/usc/42/11151.md?p=12) determines is required for appropriate interpretation of information reported under this section.
- (c) **Sanctions for failure to report—** Any entity that fails to report information on a payment required to be reported under this section shall be subject to a civil money penalty of not more than $10,000 for each such payment involved. Such penalty shall be imposed and collected in the same manner as civil money penalties under subsection (a) of [section 1320a–7a of this title](/usc/42/1320a–7a.md) are imposed and collected under that section.
- (d) **Report on treatment of small payments—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/11151.md?p=12) shall study and report to Congress, not later than two years after November 14, 1986, on whether information respecting small payments should continue to be required to be reported under [subsection (a)](#a) and whether information respecting all claims made concerning a medical malpractice action should be required to be reported under such subsection.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 99–660, title IV, § 421, Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3788.)