National Practitioner Data Bank.

The Health Care Quality Improvement Act of 1986 authorized the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a National Practitioner Data Bank to collect and release certain information relating to the professional competence and conduct of physicians, dentists and other health care practitioners. After a lengthy delay, the federal agency, on October 17, 1989, released detailed rules and regulations regarding reporting, disclosure and other requirements for the Data Bank. The following sets forth questions and answers covering significant aspects of the complex regulations.