DATE: July 24, 2026
TO: All Health Insurers, Nonprofit Health Service Plans, Health Maintenance Organizations, Dental Plan Organizations, and entities that arrange provider panels on behalf of carriers
RE: Provisional Designation of Uniform Credentialing Form and Multi-Carrier Common Online Provider Directory Information System Pursuant to § 15-112.3 of the Insurance Article
The purpose of this Bulletin is to notify insurers, nonprofit health service plans, health maintenance organizations ("HMOs"), dental plan organizations and any other person that provides health benefit plans subject to regulation by the State (referenced in this Bulletin as "carriers") that the Insurance Commissioner (Commissioner) is provisionally designating DataSpring, formerly known as the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (“CAQH") as the uniform online credentialing application and multi-carrier common online provider directory information system.
Provisional Designation of DataSpring for Uniform Credentialing
In Bulletin 09-25, the Commissioner designated the CAQH provider credentialing application as the uniform credentialing form to be used by carriers.
In 2025, CAQH transitioned to a new corporate structure, and was no longer a nonprofit alliance of health plans and trade associations.
Chapter 706 of the Laws of 2026 revised § 15-112.1 of the Insurance Article. The revised provisions state, in pertinent part:
(e) (1) The Commissioner may adopt regulations to implement the provisions of this section.
(2) The Commissioner may designate a provider credentialing application developed by a nonprofit alliance of health plans and trade associations for an online credentialing system offered to carriers and providers as the uniform credentialing form if:
(i) the provider credentialing application is available to providers at no charge; and (ii) use of the provider credentialing application is not conditioned on submitting the provider credentialing application to a carrier through the online credentialing system;
(III) The System Allows Providers To:
1. Grant access to a designated person managing the credentialing process for the provider; and
2. Access the system directly without the assistance of a third party; and
(IV) The Vendor:
1. Establishes and maintains a stakeholder workgroup to identify and address operational issues to ensure efficiency of the online credentialing system consisting of representatives of:
A. Health and Dental Carriers;
B. Managed Care Organizations;
C. Community Health Centers, including Federally Qualified Health Centers;
D. Behavioral Health Providers;
E. Private Practices of Physicians, Dentists, Advance Practice Clinicians, and other Clinicians; and
F. Credentialing Intermediaries;
2. Submits a report to the Commissioner by September 1st each year on:
A. The findings of the workgroup established under item 1 of this item and improvements implemented as a result of the workgroup's finding; and
B. For each carrier, the calculation of the average number of days between the date the carrier receives a completed credentialing application and the date the carrier sends written notice to the provider of the acceptance or rejection of the application; and
3. Meets all other requirements established by the Commissioner.
DataSpring's provider credentialing application meets the requirements, except for the establishment of the stakeholder workgroup. Therefore, the Commissioner is provisionally designating DataSpring's provider credentialing application as the uniform credentialing form to be used by carriers. Upon the establishment of a workgroup that satisfies the requirements of § 15-112.1(e)(2)(iv) of the Insurance Article, the Commissioner may designate DataSpring's provider credentialing application as the uniform credentialing form to be used by carriers. Carriers may use DataSpring's provider credentialing application now to comply laws requiring acceptance of the uniform provider credentialing form.
Designation of DataSpring as Provider Directory Information Source
Section 15-112.3 of the Insurance Article authorizes the Commissioner to designate a system for use by providers to provide and update their provider directory information with carriers. DataSpring meets the criteria specified in the statute, and is the system hereby designated by the Commissioner for use by providers to submit new and updated directory information to carriers.
Beginning September 1, 2026, carriers shall accept new and updated network directory information for a provider submitted through Dataspring or directly to the carrier.
Questions or comments may be sent to Mary Kwei, Associate Commissioner of Market Regulation and Professional Licensing, Maryland Insurance Administration, 200 Saint Paul Place, Suite 2700, Baltimore, MD 21202, or call 410-468-2113, or email to [email protected].
MARIE GRANT
Commissioner
Signature on Original
Mary M. Kwei
Associate Commissioner
Market Regulation & Professional Licensing
