Medical Credentialing Standards: Getting Providers Billing Faster

Effective billing management covers the entire credentialing and provider enrollment process — CAQH setup, Medicare/Medicaid enrollment, commercial payer contracting, and re-credentialing — so your providers start billing with all payers as quickly as possible.

90–120Days to Credentialing
150+Payers We Work With
$0Revenue Lost to Delays
100%CAQH Completion Rate
What Is Medical Credentialing?

Medical credentialing (also called provider enrollment) is the process of verifying a provider's qualifications and enrolling them with insurance payers so they can bill for services. It involves completing CAQH, submitting applications to each payer, and waiting for payer approval — which can take 90–120 days for commercial payers and up to 150 days for Medicaid. Delays in credentialing directly cost practices revenue for every day a provider cannot bill their patients' insurance.

Image: 120-day credentialing timeline illustration Placeholder — replace with credentialing timeline graphic

Full-Service Medical Credentialing & Provider Enrollment

CAQH ProView Setup

We complete your CAQH profile from scratch or update an existing profile. CAQH attestation every 90 days to keep your profile current across all payers that require it.

Medicare Enrollment (PECOS)

Medicare enrollment via PECOS including individual provider enrollment (Form CMS-855I) and group enrollment (CMS-855B). Electronic submission for fastest processing.

Medicaid Enrollment

State Medicaid enrollment for all states where your providers practice. We track state-specific requirements and timelines — Medicaid can take 90–150 days and has the strictest documentation requirements.

Commercial Payer Contracting

Participation applications to all major commercial payers in your market — Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and regional payers. We track each application and follow up proactively.

Re-Credentialing Management

We track all re-credentialing deadlines (typically every 2–3 years per payer) and initiate renewal 90 days before expiration. Missed re-credentialing = disenrollment and claim rejection.

Credentialing Maintenance

Ongoing updates when provider information changes — new address, new license, new malpractice coverage, DEA renewal. Keeps your payer files current and prevents future denials.

What to Expect: 120-Day Credentialing Timeline

Day 1–7
Document Collection & CAQH Completion

We gather all required documents, complete CAQH ProView, and prepare all payer application packages simultaneously.

Day 7–14
All Applications Submitted

Medicare PECOS enrollment, Medicaid application, and all commercial payer applications submitted in the same window to compress total timeline.

Day 30–60
Active Follow-Up Phase

We call and email each payer weekly to track status, provide missing documents, and escalate stalled applications. This is what separates fast credentialing from slow.

Day 60–90
First Approvals Arrive

Medicare and faster commercial payers typically approve in this window. Provider can begin billing those payers immediately while remaining applications are pending.

Day 90–120
Full Credentialing Complete

Most commercial payers approved. Provider can now bill all payers. Medicaid approval may extend to Day 150 depending on state — we continue following up.

Important: Submit Medicaid applications first — in most states it is the slowest payer. Never wait until Medicare is approved to start Medicaid. Apply to everything simultaneously on Day 1.

What a High-Performing Credentialing Operation Delivers

Proactive Follow-Up

We don't wait for payers to call us. Weekly follow-up calls on every pending application. This alone cuts credentialing time by 30–45 days vs. passive submission.

All Payers, All States

150+ payers including all regional and specialty plans. State-specific Medicaid expertise for every state where your providers practice.

Revenue Protection

We identify which payers offer provisional billing with retroactive effective dates — protecting revenue during the credentialing window.

Re-Credentialing Tracking

Automated reminders 90+ days before expiration. You never miss a re-credentialing deadline and risk disenrollment.

Image: Provider credentialing checklist / document stack visual

Medical Credentialing FAQ

Medical credentialing typically takes 90–120 days for most commercial payers. Medicare enrollment through PECOS takes 60–90 days. Medicaid enrollment varies by state and can take 90–150 days. Starting CAQH and submitting all applications simultaneously — rather than sequentially — is the most effective way to compress the total timeline.
CAQH (Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare) ProView is an industry-standard provider data repository. Most commercial payers require a complete, current CAQH profile before they will process a participation application. CAQH must be attested (updated and confirmed) every 90 days or payers will receive an "expired" status and your application can stall. It's the single most important first step in credentialing.
Standard credentialing documents include: state medical license, DEA registration, individual and group NPI, malpractice insurance certificate (current and with occurrence tail if applicable), board certification certificate, CV or 10-year work history with no gaps, medical school diploma, residency and fellowship completion letters, and professional references. Gathering all documents before applications are submitted is critical — missing documents are the most common cause of delays.
Generally no — claims submitted before enrollment is complete will be denied. However, some commercial payers offer provisional billing with a retroactive effective date (allowing billing back to the application date once approved), and Medicare allows retroactive billing once PECOS enrollment is approved. We identify which payers in your market offer retroactive billing and structure the credentialing process to take advantage of it.
Re-credentialing is the periodic renewal of a provider's payer participation status — typically required every 2–3 years per payer, though timelines vary. Missing a re-credentialing deadline results in temporary disenrollment from that payer and claim rejection until renewal is complete. Every practice should have a system to track all re-credentialing deadlines at least 90 days in advance. ABA-vetted billing partners includes re-credentialing tracking and management in all credentialing service agreements.

Related Credentialing Guides

Guide

Credentialing Guide

Step-by-step credentialing timeline and what to do at each milestone.

Guide

Prior Authorization

How to manage prior auths once credentialing is complete.

Guide

Eligibility Verification

Post-credentialing: verifying patient eligibility before every encounter.

Ready to Get Your Provider Credentialed Faster?

Every day without completed credentialing costs revenue. Start the credentialing process today — we can begin immediately.