Certified Provider Credentialing Specialist Showdown 2025 – Master the CPCS with Confidence!

The Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA) was passed into law in 1986. This legislation is significant because it was aimed at improving the quality of health care by encouraging hospitals and other health care entities to engage in peer review of health care practitioners. The act provides certain protections for those who participate in peer review processes, shielding them from potential lawsuits that could arise from actions taken during the review.

Understanding the timing of HCQIA’s passage is crucial in the context of provider credentialing and quality assurance practices that evolved in the health care industry during that period. The act also established the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), which enhances patient safety and improves the quality of care by providing information about the professional conduct of health care providers. The emphasis on credentialing standards and peer review processes introduced by HCQIA continues to impact the framework of health care operations.