Profession
More states added to credentialing process
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 9, 2004
The Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare recently launched its Universal Credentialing DataSource system in five more states: Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
The nonprofit alliance of health plans and networks developed the system to help physicians more easily and cost-effectively provide required credentialing information to health care organizations. The Web-based system allows doctors to submit their credentials in a single application to meet the credentialing needs of health care organizations taking part in the program.
The free service to doctors keeps physicians from having to submit to the cumbersome credentialing process every two to three years with individual health plans. Physicians authorize access to participating organizations, which review and verify credentialing data and decide if a physician meets standards for participation.
CAQH, created in 1999 and based in Washington, D.C., launched the credentialing system in Colorado and Virginia in March 2002. The system now has 37 states and Washington, D.C., and is expected to include every state this year.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/02/09/prbf0209.htm.
