|
(Minneapolis) ... Minnesota is the first state in the nation to offer a one-stop shop for verifying the credentials of health care providers. Any health plan, hospital or health care organization in the state may use credentialing services through the newly formed Minnesota Joint Purchasing
Coalition (MJPC). Providing credentialing information to a single credentialing organization reduces paperwork for practitioners and allows hospitals and health plans to experience cost savings through shared economies of scale.
The Minnesota Medical Association, Minnesota Hospital and Healthcare Partnership, and the Minnesota Council of Health Plans formed the MJPC to create an efficient process that would eliminate duplication and save time and money. The MJPC contracted with Innovative Data Solutions/Credential One to provide the internet-based services.
Essential credentialing services provided through Credential One include verification of medical school graduation, licenses and/or certifications, primary residency, board actions, hospital
privileges, malpractice coverage, malpractice claims history, Medicaid or Medicare sanctions and a query into the National Practitioners Data Bank. Credential One verifies credentials for physicians, social workers, psychologists, nurse practitioners, chiropractors, optometrists, dentists, midwives, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and other health care practitioners.
"A single credentialing source will require less paperwork and provide fast, reliable service at lower costs," said Benjamin Whitten, M.D., who chaired the MJPC Task Force.
Health care providers will see several benefits:
- Providers do not pay the CVO an application fee for credentialing services. Fees are paid by hospitals and health plans.
- Providers may have to complete fewer applications. Unless they contract with a facility that has not joined the MJPC, they will have to fill out only one CVO application or reappointment form.
- After an application with Credential One has been completed, reappointment forms will be pre-populated with the information submitted on the first application. Providers will only need to make changes, not start anew.
- State-of-the art electronic security allows for safe and secure transfer of confidential information.
- Clinics will be asked to provide information to fewer credentialing organizations, eliminating duplication and saving time and money.
Turnaround time for primary source verification from Credential One will be between 30 and 45 calendar days for initial verification. For reappointments or re-credentials, the schedule will be 30 calendar days. Health plans and hospitals will then continue the credentialing process.
For health care providers, the credentialing process remains the same with one exception. The reappointment timeline is now based on the month and year of the provider's birthday rather than on an alphabetical system. For some health care providers this may initially result in having to fill out an application earlier than under the old system, but in the long run it will be easier to predict the reappointment date and it will be two years before another application will have to be submitted.
|
