Joint project will reduce administrative burden by allowing payers to obtain complete credentials for dental providers through a single database and website
Wonderbox Technologies (Mequon, Wisconsin) announced last week that it is collaborating with the American Dental Association (ADA) to create a new, centralized dental provider credentialing database and website. The collaboration is a part of an ongoing effort to help reduce administrative burdens and lower costs for dental providers and payers.
When launched, the new technology will allow dentists to enter their credentials in a securely designed web portal on the ADA’s website and then have those credentials available to all payers. The advantage of the centralized web portal is that dentists will only need to enter their credentials one time. This process will replace the current method where dentists must respond individually to each payer request for this information, thus saving time and lowering costs.
The service will be free to all dentists, even if they are not members of the ADA. Payers will go to a separate ADA web portal to download the information as raw or verified files for a nominal fee.
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The first step for the dental provider credentialing database and website will be to launch the pilot program in New Jersey, Nevada, and Kansas in June. The full rollout is scheduled for later this summer.
“Through conversations with our dentist members, the ADA determined that responding to multiple requests for the same credentialing information from different dental payers is a time-consuming and costly administrative burden that takes away from time spent on patient care,” said Kathleen O’Loughlin, DMD, MPH, executive director of the ADA. “Building a centralized, comprehensive database as we are executing solves that issue.”
Dr. O’Loughlin added, “We chose to collaborate with Wonderbox Technologies on this project due to their deep understanding and involvement on both the provider and payer sides of the dental industry. The quality of their proven technology will deliver an outstanding user experience. They have been a tremendous, innovative partner in this process. We are excited about the credentialing database and believe it will solve an ongoing issue for our members.”
Credential information will be kept in a securely designed data warehouse that interfaces with the ADA website. The data warehouse will be maintained by Wonderbox Technologies on behalf of the ADA, which will retain full ownership of the information. The data input form is fully comprehensive and will meet the requirements for the state in which each dentist practices.
The portal will also save time and labor costs for payers by ensuring that the information they request is complete and available immediately. Currently payers must send a request, wait for a response, check the information, and go back to the dental office if any information is inaccurate or incomplete.
Wonderbox Technologies delivers the data warehouse, the web portals, and the ongoing support.
“No dentist gets into the profession with the desire to get bogged down in administrative paperwork,” said Craig Kasten, CEO of SKYGEN USA, of which Wonderbox Technologies is a part. “I commend the ADA for recognizing the issue and taking action. Our whole business is focused on solving problems for providers and payers in all areas of health care, and with our long legacy of work in the dental industry we thought it was important that this solution be shared with everyone. We are proud to be contributing to this project, and look forward to continuing to collaborate with the ADA on additional initiatives.”
Source: Wonderbox Technologies press release 8 June 2016
