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Ask the expert: How many times should MSPs follow up with practitioners regarding reappointment notices?

Credentialing Resource Center Connection, July 21, 2011

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MSPs should have a robust tracking system in place to ensure that the organization meets all the time frames for reappointment as required by accrediting bodies. Although the burden to provide information for reappointment is truly on the applicant, every MSP knows that a certain amount of “hand holding” happens. MSPs should ensure that they have a sound process of tracking reappointment dates, sending reappointment packets, and following up on nonreturned applications. It is not uncommon for an applicant to claim, “I never received the reappointment application.” MSPs should document the following:

• Date the application was sent
• Address the application was sent to
• Any follow-up communication regarding the status of the reappointment application

MSPs should perform two additional follow-ups (fax, e-mail, or phone call) every 10 days. Be sure to document your attempts either in your credentialing software, database, or spreadsheet. Set a reasonable limit for follow-up, as the MSP has several other activities to attend to, not to mention processing applications that were returned on time. On the third or final follow-up, it is a good practice to send a list of practitioners who have not returned their reappointment application to the appropriate physician leadership (e.g., department chairs in patient care facilities or the credentials committee chair in managed care organizations). Physician leadership should contact those practitioners and ask them to either return their application immediately or risk loss of membership/privileges, according to the organization’s bylaws/policy. If the member applicant fails, without good cause (refer to your policy as to what constitutes “good cause”), to provide the organization an application or other relevant information, his or her appointment (and clinical privileges in patient care organizations) automatically terminate at the expiration date.

This week’s question and answer are from The Medical Staff Professional’s Handbook by Anne Roberts, CPMSM, CPCS, and Maggie Palmer, MSA, CPMSM, CPCS.
 

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