Key Features of Assured Credentialing Solution You Need to Know

Credentialing is one of the most important processes in healthcare. It plays a direct role in ensuring patient safety, supporting efficient provider onboarding, and improving revenue generation. 

However, despite its importance, credentialing is often difficult to manage, especially at scale. Outdated systems, paper-based workflows, and manual verifications often lead to delays, frustration, and missed revenue opportunities. 

But what if credentialing could be efficient?

Assured was built with that exact goal in mind. Designed specifically for healthcare organizations, the platform streamlines credentialing and payer enrollment, making it faster, more accurate, and far easier to manage. 

If you're overseeing 100 or 10,000 providers, Assured helps your team move faster, stay compliant, and avoid the usual pitfalls that slow teams down.

In this article, we’ll break down the key features of Assured’s credentialing solution. As you read, you’ll discover how they deliver real, measurable improvements for your providers, your workflows, and your bottom line.

Introduction: From credentialing chaos to operational excellence

As previously established, credentialing affects how quickly providers can see patients, how soon billing can begin, and whether your organization remains in compliance with regulatory and payer standards.

For leadership teams responsible for growth, risk management, and operational performance, outdated credentialing processes are no longer viable. In this section, we’ll explain why.

‍1. The real cost of credentialing inefficiency

Delays in credentialing have a direct financial and clinical impact. For instance, a single specialist unable to begin work due to credentialing backlogs can result in up to $50,000 in lost revenue annually. This figure doesn’t include the administrative cost of rework, denied claims due to incomplete files, or potential fines associated with non-compliance.

Fortunately, automated credentialing solutions can significantly reduce these risks. According to industry reports,  technology-driven credentialing can cut processing time by as much as 80%, which not only improves turnaround but also helps organizations recover revenue more quickly. 

In contrast, maintaining credentialing fully in-house often involves complex workflows, time-consuming manual tasks, additional staff, and constant oversight.

2. The evolving landscape of healthcare credentialing

In previous years, credentialing used to be a relatively straightforward process. But today, organizations are expected to meet standards from multiple governing bodies, such as NCQA, The Joint Commission (TJC), CMS, and state boards, all while maintaining complete, accurate, and up-to-date provider files at all times.

Assured is one of the few platforms that addresses this challenge.  As an NCQA-certified Credentials Verification Organization (CVO), Assured meets rigorous national standards for credentialing accuracy, timeliness, and completeness. This certification gives healthcare organizations the assurance that their credentialing processes align with the expectations of regulators, auditors, and payer partners.

As credentialing requirements become more complex, relying on spreadsheets, file folders, and disjointed systems only increases your risk. However, using a platform that is built to meet the highest verification standards offer you a strategic advantage.

3. Introducing Assured: The all-in-one credentialing solution

Assured is a smarter, more integrated way to manage credentialing and provider operations from end to end. It replaces fragmented tools and manual processes with a single platform that automates committee documentation, license monitoring, and payer enrollment.

With Assured, the goal is simple: to reduce the time and effort it takes to get providers onboarded and keep them compliant, without sacrificing accuracy or oversight. 

Credentialing teams can manage application status, address missing documentation, and track verifications in real time, with significantly fewer delays. By reducing manual workload, improving data accuracy, and supporting delegated credentialing readiness, Assured helps healthcare organizations transition from reactive, high-risk credentialing to a more proactive, scalable model.

4. The Assured difference at a glance

Assured’s value lies in measurable, operational improvement. Clients using the platform have:

• Reduced credentialing timelines by up to 95%
• Accelerated provider onboarding from months to 48 hours
• Avoided costly rework, missed deadlines, and compliance penalties
• Improved visibility across every stage of the credentialing and enrollment process

In summary, Assured helps healthcare organizations move from reactive problem-solving to proactive, system-wide efficiency. So, if you're still relying on outdated tools, it’s time to move forward with something built for today’s healthcare industry.

Feature deep dive: Assured's comprehensive credentialing ecosystem

Assured creates one cohesive system, reducing complexity while increasing speed, accuracy, and visibility. 

Below are the key features that power Assured’s credentialing platform, and how they help healthcare organizations operate with greater efficiency and control.

1. Lightning-fast provider onboarding

Provider onboarding is usually where credentialing delays begin. Assured addresses this with a secure, intuitive portal that enables providers to submit accurate information quickly.

The platform pulls verified data from trusted sources (CAQH, NPPES, and state medical boards) using smart autofill technology. This not only reduces the burden on providers, but also ensures that information is up to date and accurate from the start.

Industry data shows that onboarding time takes an average of five days or more, but with Assured, organizations can cut onboarding time to as little as two days. This is a major improvement for teams managing multiple new hires or scaling quickly, as it directly impacts access to care and time to revenue.

2. Automated primary source verification (PSV) technology

Primary source verification is one of the most time-consuming parts of the credentialing process. Thankfully, Assured fully automates this step by connecting directly to over 2,000 data sources, covering everything from state licenses and DEA registrations to NPDB, SAM, SSA-DMF, and OIG exclusion lists.

The platform verifies a provider’s education, licensure, board certifications, work history, and sanctions in real time. This level of automation not only improves speed and accuracy but also reduces reliance on manual checklists or external vendors, bringing more control in-house.

3. Perfectly compliant CVO applications

Assured’s platform is built to align with the expectations of major accrediting bodies, including NCQA, The Joint Commission, and CMS. Every application processed through the platform is structured to meet those credentialing standards automatically.

As part of this, Assured flags incomplete or non-compliant applications before submission. This allows credentialing teams to correct issues early, rather than risk rejections or delays down the line. It’s a proactive approach that improves audit readiness and gives healthcare organization greater confidence in compliance status.

4. Parallel processing capabilities

Traditional credentialing systems usually process applications one at a time, and this creates backlogs during periods of high volume. Assured eliminates that constraint by enabling parallel processing of credentialing applications.

This means multiple providers can move through the system simultaneously, regardless of role, location, or specialty. It’s particularly valuable for organizations undergoing rapid expansion, onboarding seasonal staff, or managing multiple facility locations. By shifting from sequential to parallel workflows, teams can scale their credentialing efforts without increasing staff or compromising quality.

5. Real-time status dashboards

One of the most common frustrations in credentialing is not knowing where an application stands. Assured solves this with real-time dashboards that provide complete visibility across every credentialing file in progress.

Credentialing teams and administrators can quickly identify issues such as pending verifications, or expired documents, without digging through spreadsheets or emails. The system also provides instant alerts when action is needed, so nothing gets overlooked. This transparency helps teams prioritize tasks and maintain consistent momentum across the process.

The Assured advantage: Quantifiable ROI and business impact

We’ve already established that by reducing manual work, eliminating rework, and shortening credentialing timelines, Assured helps healthcare organizations achieve measurable improvements across their operational and financial performance.

But how exactly does Assured compares to traditional in-house credentialing models? Keep reading to find out.

1. In-House vs. Assured: A practical comparison

Between software costs, staffing, compliance risk, and lack of scalability, in-house solutions require significant resources to maintain. By contrast, Assured streamlines every part of the process in a centralized platform built for scale, automation, and audit readiness.

See how it compares below:

2. Proven time savings

Credentialing teams often spend hours each week chasing down documents, checking license statuses, and reprocessing incomplete applications. Across health systems and MSOs, this adds up quickly.

With Assured, clients have reported saving hundreds of administrative hours per month, freeing up their teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Where traditional credentialing workflows average 60 to 90 days per provider, Assured brings that down to 48 hours or less. This improvement doesn’t just help with onboarding, it prevents care delays, accelerates payer enrollment, and reduces operational drag across departments.

3. Financial impact

Delayed credentialing delays billing. For most hospitals, that means a specialist sitting idle can equate to $50,000 or more in lost revenue annually. Assured reduces time-to-billing by up to 45 days, allowing organizations to recover income that would otherwise be lost to administrative delays.

In addition, Assured’s built-in license monitoring and payer enrollment tracking ensures renewals are never missed, preventing accidental lapses that interrupt reimbursement cycles or require time-consuming reinstatement.

In short, every day saved in credentialing is a day gained in billing, and Assured is designed to shorten that gap.

‍4. Scalability advantage

One of the greatest challenges with in-house credentialing is scalability. Expanding into new states, launching new service lines, or onboarding large provider cohorts can overwhelm internal systems. Building internal capacity typically takes 6 to 12 months, especially when adding new payor relationships or meeting delegation requirements.

Assured allows organizations to scale credentialing operations in as little as 30 days without hiring additional staff or investing in new systems. The platform can handle rapid provider growth, multistate licensure requirements, and payor-specific documentation needs seamlessly.

For organizations considering delegated credentialing, Assured also lays the groundwork. It’s particularly well-suited for teams that meet any of the following thresholds:

• 100+ credentialed practitioners
• Multistate licensure requirements
• More than 5 payer contracts

With its NCQA-certified infrastructure, pre-built audit templates, and automated verification workflows, Assured helps you meet delegation credentialing with confidence and efficiency.

NCQA certification: The gold standard in credentialing

Healthcare organizations need to look beyond software features or turnaround time when choosing a credentialing partner. Trust, accuracy, and compliance are important factors to consider, and this is where NCQA Certification becomes a meaningful differentiator.

1. What NCQA certification means for you

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) sets some of the most rigorous standards in the healthcare industry, particularly when it comes to credentialing. The organization is a symbol of compliance and confirmation that a credentialing organization consistently meets nationally recognized benchmarks for accuracy, process integrity, and data security.

Assured’s NCQA Certification as a Credentials Verification Organization (CVO) places it in a select category of credentialing providers. This certification affirms that Assured adheres to best practices across all critical areas of credentialing, ensuring your provider files are complete, up-to-date, and audit-ready at any moment.

2. Certified verification elements

Assured’s certification also covers a comprehensive set of credentialing elements, each of which plays an important role in ensuring your providers meet regulatory and payer requirements. These include:

• Application Processing: Ensuring consistent, standardized intake and review of provider data
• Education and Training Verification: Confirming that medical school, residency, and fellowship details are accurate and fully validated
• DEA Certification: Verifying federal authority to prescribe controlled substances
• License to Practice: Confirming active, unrestricted state licensure in all applicable states
• CVO Application and Attestation Content: Ensuring that all required elements are gathered and that attestation is up to date and properly documented
• Board Certification Status: Verifying specialty board certifications and subspecialties directly from issuing boards
• Malpractice Claims History: Reviewing past and pending claims to assess risk and compliance
• Medicare/Medicaid Sanctions: Verifying that providers are not excluded from federal programs
• Medical Board Sanctions: Checking for past or active disciplinary actions from state licensing boards
• Ongoing Monitoring of Sanctions: Continuously screening providers against federal and state exclusion lists to catch any new developments
• Work History: Verifying previous employment, including gaps in practice and relevant clinical experience

Each of these elements contributes to a credentialing process that is built to stand up to scrutiny from payers, regulators, and accrediting bodies.

3. Streamlined audit preparation

One of the most practical advantages of Assured’s NCQA Certification is the simplification of audit readiness. 

For every provider in your network, the platform automatically generates and maintains a complete, NCQA-compliant credentialing packet. This includes all verification results, source documentation, committee decisions, attestation statements, and historical updates, all organized and audit-ready at all times.

This level of organization helps credentialing teams shift from reactive to proactive. Rather than scrambling to gather documents or double-check expired licenses under pressure, teams using Assured can confidently respond to audits, renewals, or internal reviews without added effort.

In essence, NCQA Certification doesn’t just reflect Assured’s internal standards, it provides your organization with an added layer of credibility and operational assurance. It means fewer surprises, better audit outcomes, and a credentialing process that can be trusted to hold up under any level of scrutiny.

Implementation journey: How Assured works for you

Transitioning to a new credentialing solution can seem like a difficult task, but Assured is built to simplify that transition and reduce operational lift. 

The platform is structured to accelerate implementation and support your team throughout the entire lifecycle of credentialing, enrollment, and compliance.

1. Seamless onboarding process

The implementation journey begins with onboarding. Providers receive access to a secure online portal where they can submit their information, upload required documents, and attest to accuracy in just a few minutes.

The system then automatically pulls verified data from trusted external sources such as CAQH, NPPES, and state licensing boards to minimize manual entry and reduce error. In many cases, this means 60–70% of the provider's information is already pre-filled, therefore removing the usual friction from data collection.

Once the application is submitted, Assured’s automated primary source verification (PSV) process begins immediately. The platform cross-references credentials, licensure, certifications, and history against thousands of verified sources. 

2. Ongoing program maintenance

Assured manages much of the day-to-day credentialing work on your behalf, including:

• Direct communication with providers to manage and update their credentialing files
• Real-time license and sanctions monitoring
• Preparation of credentialing packets for committee review
• Documentation of Credentialing Committee minutes
• Support for annual audits, including file prep and credentialing history
• Generation of provider rosters in payer-specific formats

These activities help ensure your credentialing operation remains compliant, accurate, and audit-ready, without requiring constant oversight from your internal team.

Your responsibilities during this stage will simply be to: 

• Host credentialing committee meetings and review Assured-prepared packets
• Engage directly with delegation entities or payers where needed
• Review monitoring notifications and take appropriate action when issues arise
• Participate in annual audit processes

This shared model allows your organization to retain oversight while minimizing administrative overhead.

3. Integrated workflows

With an API-first architecture, Assured integrates easily with the systems your teams already use. Examples of such systems include Applicant Tracking System (ATS), Electronic Medical Record (EMR), Salesforce, or internal HR tools. 

These integrations reduce the need for double entry, allow credentialing to align with provider onboarding workflows, and ensure credentialing status updates are visible across departments. The goal of this is to make credentialing an integrated part of your operations, rather than a siloed process that requires constant follow-up.

Advanced security and compliance

When it comes to credentialing, highly sensitive information such as provider Social Security numbers, licensure records, malpractice history, and payer identifiers, are involved. As such, all credentialing systems must be secure and in compliance with strict privacy laws and cybersecurity protocols. 

Here’s how Assured can secure your information.

1. HIPAA compliance and data protection

Every interaction with Assured is built to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This means the platform is structured to protect the privacy, confidentiality, and integrity of protected health information (PHI) at all times.

The platform’s HIPAA-compliant infrastructure supports both compliance audits and day-to-day operations, helping organizations meet their legal responsibilities while maintaining the trust of providers and partners.

2. Security infrastructure

All documents and communications within the platform are protected by end-to-end encryption. Data in transit is secured using modern encryption protocols (TLS 1.2 or higher), while data at rest is protected through AES-256 encryption, the same standard used by financial institutions and government agencies.

The platform’s Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) ensures that users only see and interact with information relevant to their responsibilities. Credentialing managers, compliance leads, and provider relations teams each have defined access levels, helping to limit unnecessary exposure to sensitive data.

In addition, the platform maintains secure document storage and audit trails, so administrators can see when information was accessed, updated, or transmitted. 

When should you consider delegated credentialing?

Delegated credentialing is a more efficient model for organizations ready to take greater control over their credentialing and payer enrollment processes. 

But when is the right time to consider delegation? And what are the actual benefits? 

1. Readiness assessment

A common threshold for readiness is when a group reaches 100 or more actively practicing providers, especially if they operate across multiple states and work with five or more payer contracts.

At this stage, the volume of credentialing activity already outpaces the capacity of in-house teams, and delays begin to affect onboarding timelines, billing cycles, and provider satisfaction.

For smaller organizations that are actively scaling, it’s wise to prepare early. Starting at the 75- to 100-provider mark helps avoid the accumulation of a large backlog and gives your team time to build a strong, compliant foundation. 

2. The business case for delegation

Below are some key business benefits of delegated credentialing that directly support growth and financial performance.

• Activate Providers Sooner: With delegation in place, your organization gains the authority to credential providers and submit them to payers without waiting for the payer’s full verification process. This allows newly onboarded providers to begin delivering care, and billing for it.
• Cost Savings: Managing payer enrollments through batch submissions or roster-based updates, rather than one-off, manual applications, cuts administrative overhead.
• Strengthened Relationships with Payers and Providers: Payers tend to view delegated organizations as more reliable and self-sufficient, which can lead to faster responses, streamlined communication, and increased trust. Internally, providers benefit from a smoother onboarding experience, fewer delays, and greater confidence in your operational infrastructure, especially when starting a new role.

Ready to transform your credentialing operations?

If you’re ready to bring greater efficiency, accuracy, and transparency to your credentialing operations, now is the time to take the next step.

Start by booking a demo with an Assured expert. This will allow you get a closer look at the platform’s core features, see how workflows are tailored to your organization’s needs, and understand what implementation would look like for your team.

However, if you’re looking to explore delegated credentialing readiness, then download our Delegated Credentialing Guide. It outlines practical steps, compliance considerations, and how Assured helps you prepare for payer partnerships with full confidence.

Remember that credentialing doesn’t have to be slow, fragmented, or reactive. Assured can help you move from credentialing chaos to operational control, replacing manual tracking and incomplete files with AI automation, accuracy, and full visibility.

Clients using Assured have reported:

• Up to 95% reduction in credentialing time
• Faster onboarding across multi-specialty groups (often in 48 hours or less)
• Significant cost savings and reduced administrative complexity

We’re proud to have achieved NCQA Certification as a Credentials Verification Organization, a huge milestone that reflects our ongoing commitment to quality, compliance, and innovation. But more importantly, we’re excited about what comes next. That certification enables us to move even faster toward our mission: transforming healthcare administration through better technology, deeper integration, and smarter automation.