ADA launches AI-powered credentialing solution, urges plan administrators to join effort

Dentists can store credentials in CAQH portal, use AI platform to verify data

In an effort to reduce administrative burdens for dentists, the American Dental Association is urging plan administrators to participate in its recently launched service that uses artificial intelligence-powered automation to verify dentists’ credentials.

The ADA Delegated Credentialing Service, powered by LightSpun, builds on the success of the ADA-CAQH Provider Data Portal, which already supports more than 150,000 dentists.

In a letter to plan administrators, the ADA emphasized the need for industry collaboration to eliminate duplicative processes and urged payers to accept credentialing data validated through the ADA’s service.

“By integrating advanced AI technology through our collaboration with LightSpun, the ADA can now deliver a solution that builds on the strong dentist utilization of CAQH while introducing AI-powered automation to complete primary source verification and onboarding, significantly reducing administrative burden, duplicative work, and credentialing delays,” the ADA said in the letter.

For the past seven years, the ADA has partnered with the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare — the health care industry alliance better known as CAQH — to offer the ADA-CAQH Provider Data Portal. Rather than submitting the same credentialing information to multiple insurance companies with which they want to participate, dentists can store their data in the portal and companies can pull it from there.

The portal is free to all dentists, who can access their credentialing profiles by signing in through the ADA website. Dentists are prompted to confirm their information is accurate and up to date every 120 days. This ongoing verification is necessary to meet payer requirements and maintain trusted data, according to the ADA.

The addition of the ADA Delegated Credentialing Service aims to shorten credentialing timelines from weeks to days and avoid provider and patient frustration by helping prevent claim denials and unexpected bills, the ADA said in its letter.

“The combination of the CAQH system with the LightSpun system creates an end-to-end solution to solve credentialing and reflects the ADA’s ongoing commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and supporting our members in delivering high-quality dental care,” the ADA said. “By addressing one of the dentist's most persistent pain points, the ADA is helping to build a more responsive, efficient, and sustainable dental ecosystem.”

To learn more about the ADA Delegated Credentialing Service and the ADA-CAQH Provider Data Portal, visit ADA.org/credentialing.