by Nat'l Committee
In an historic first for chiropractic, the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) has been notified that their chiropractic data base, CIN-BAD (Chiropractic Information Network-Board Action Databank), has been listed as an acceptable credentialing source by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
The NCQA accredits insurance programs, and one important area deals with verifying the credentials of participating health care providers. NCQA has proposed new standards to include chiropractors.
A draft of the 1997 NCQA accreditation document, which includes these chiropractic standards, is currently in circulation. It has caught the interest of a number of managed care organizations wishing to comply with NCQA's recommended standards for verification of credentials.
FCLB received a letter from David Arnold, MN, RN, assistant director of accreditation policy for NCQA, in which he states:
"... FCLB's CIN-BAD databank is listed ... as an acceptable source of information regarding sanctions, limitations, or restrictions to chiropractic license."
The respective state board of chiropractic examiners is also listed as an alternate information source.
Federation President Robert M. Vaughn, DC, noted that early discussions with NCQA were unclear whether the databank would be listed: "We were told that no other health professions had a reliable and accessible source of this precise type, and it would be somewhat unusual for the accreditation commission to include this sort of online computer service for credentials verification.
This move offers tangible evidence that centralized information access is a real plus side of the new computer technology. But perhaps more importantly, it shows how our member chiropractic regulatory boards in the U.S., our territories, Canada, and Australia are really working together in a global community to protect chiropractic patients."
Many managed care organizations are either accredited by NCQA, or voluntarily subscribe to their high standards in credentials verification and monitoring for health care providers. The number of subscribers to CIN-BAD has increased markedly since NCQA's inclusion of the CIN-BAD databank in the new chiropractic standards.
"I guess they've discovered one-stop shopping for public disciplinary actions," Vaughn explained. "We are pleased to note that 51 boards now report to CIN-BAD, meaning only a few have yet to shoulder the responsibility of being part of the larger regulatory community."
CIN-BAD has been online since 1993, but only opened to public access a year and a half ago. The system currently contains 3,241 board actions against 1,762 practitioners, with action dates ranging from 2/25/54 to 1/15/97.
The unique "self-service" online design allows for browsing the databank by name, date, or jurisdiction. In addition to public board actions, the system hosts a related chiropractic Medicare sanctions databank provided by U.S. Health and Human Services.
Over the next three years, additional databases are planned. These will focus on chiropractic statutes and rules, verification of chiropractic college graduation, and notation of multiple licenses. "In addition to helping to protect the public, we envision CIN-BAD as a primary credentials verification source to streamline chiropractic and our patients' access to managed care." Dr. Vaughn observed.
Online subscriptions to CIN-BAD range from $250 to $1,000 per year, depending on the anticipated volume of queries. Individual staff-conducted queries are available for $20 each.
FCLB Unveils Web Site
A more complete CIN-BAD program description can be found on the Federation's Internet web site. The new web page features a view of chiropractic from the regulatory perspective. Specific areas include:
The executive offices of the FCLB may be contacted by phone at (970) 356-3500, or by fax at (970) 356-356-3599.
For more information about NCQA's 1997 Draft Standards for Accreditation, contact their publication center at (800) 839-6487.
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