Best Behavioral Health Credentialing Companies for Solo Providers 

In assuming you are a lone therapist, a clinical psychologist, or a behavioral health provider, then you must ask yourself, “Do I actually need the help of credentialing”? Yes, it is most certainly needed, particularly when you are planning to cooperate with insurance companies and develop your practice. Credentialing means that your approval is the purpose of billing insurers. But we are all aware of the fact that it is also a time-consuming and complex process. 

Behavioral health credentialing firms enter the picture here. These professionals assist you in the process of enrolling with payers, maintaining compliance, and serving your primary purpose patients. 

In this blog, we will discuss the significance of credentialing, name businesses that are nice to individual providers, and demonstrate to you how to simplify the credentialing procedure into something that is easy and stress-free. 

Why Credentialing is Crucial for Behavioral Health Providers 

Credentialing is a process carried out by insurance companies on your credentials. It involves scrutiny of your license, education, criminal record, clinical experience, malpractice cover, etc. Once done, you will become in-network and may now start treating and charging the patients of that insurance plan. 

Behavioral health providers, including therapists, social workers, and psychologists, need to be credentialed. It provides entry to a larger customer base, builds credibility, and increases the revenue of the practice. In the absence of credentialing, you may then be compelled to work only under private payment, which may restrict the number of customers. 

However, there is also an issue of credentialing mental health professionals. The payers differ and are of different forms and requirements. Some insurers will remove special behavioral health forms. Timelines may be developed after months. That is why many one-person providers are interested in credentialing firms. 

Top Credentialing Companies Serving Solo Practices 

The following are some of the most appropriate behavioral health credentialing firms that can fit the solo provider: 

1. Credex Healthcare: 

Credex Healthcare is known to have collaborated with behavioral health providers and automated the process of credentialing through compliance aid. They possess a rapid-tracking, easy-document system. They have positioned themselves as credentialing experts, which is specific to mental health and behavioral health providers. 

They oversee paperwork, payer follow-ups, and regulatory compliance to facilitate approvals. They also serve individual practitioners with unrivalled service in terms of enrollment with the key payers, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Aetna, Cigna, and others. They get positive feedback as they are known to offer good responsiveness. 

2. TheraThink: 

TheraThink is a boutique company that specializes in credentialing of mental health to individual therapists and small or medium-sized practices. They perform CAQH setup, payer application, and Medicaid enrollment. 

3. Practice Solutions: 

The behavioral healthcare providers are the recipients of this business. They provide services that can help in credentialing and billing of solo practice and group therapy offices. 

4. ProviderFlow: 

ProviderFlow is skilled and knowledgeable in behavioral and mental health credentialing and leverages it to assist solo providers in joining the network faster. They assist, too, in re-credentialing and Medicaid forms. 

5. Grow Therapy: 

It offers therapists credentialing and billing services through revolutionary technology. They are also concerned with the process of streamlining the credentialing of the new providers that contribute to the development of a private practice. 

6. Headway: 

Headway is not a typical credentialing company; however, in situations where the therapists access their network, they handle credentialing as well as billing. It is ideal for providers who want to have an all-in-one platform. 

7. Alma: 

A more recent tool assists therapists in the credentialing and billing process via their group NPI. This is ideal where the providers desire flexibility but do not wish to go into business on their own. Numerous individual practitioners in the country have confidence in these companies. 

There are other strengths; as such, you may select the one that fits your practice objectives and budget. 

Comparison: Large vs. Solo Practice Credentialing 

The credentialing of a large group practice is very different from the credentialing of a solo provider. Large practices have the tendency to hire permanent personnel to perform credentialing. Unit providers are those who are likely to be doing everything, including therapy, billing, and compliance. 

Credentialing firms that specialize in solo providers understand these pressures. They offer hands-on support, unrestricted prices, and bespoke support. They do not allow you to believe that you are a number. Moreover, they would even prefer going through every procedure of establishing CAQH, the process of insurance application, and follow-ups. 

This service is necessary for individual therapists who are new or must increase their insurance provisions. Big companies do not always pay that much attention. 

How These Companies Support Mental Health Professionals 

Credentialing firms that are behaviorally oriented know what you need. This is how they make the life of individual providers simple: 

• CAQH Setup & Maintenance: They assist in setting up and maintaining your CAQH profile, which is the most significant part of most insurance applications. 

• Payment: They apply to and file with Aetna, Blue Cross, UnitedHealthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, and numerous others. 

• Medicaid Credentialing: Most mental health providers take Medicaid. Credentialing companies aid in complex state-specific applications. 

• Re-Credentialing and Updates: They monitor the timeline of credentials renewal, process expired documents, and review payer status. 

• Appeals and follow-ups: If an application is delayed or rejected, they bargain with payers and sort out problems. 

The existence of these services will eliminate delays, errors, speed up the approval process and decrease your stress levels. 

Tips for Smooth Credentialing as a Solo Provider 

Even in the case of hiring the help of professionals, you can take certain steps to have your credentialing sped up: 

1. Bring NPI number, license, malpractice insurance, and resume. 

2. Complete your CAQH profile by doing it as soon as possible. Most of the payers desire such a profile. 

3. When your credentialing company is demanding something, answer as quickly as possible. The whole process can be postponed in your agency. 

4. Ask your company about the status. There will be a portal or contact person of good companies at the same time. 

5. When you are about to sign a contract concerning insurance, make sure to read your reimbursement rates and terms. 

There is no reason why credentialing should be a nightmare, using proper preparation and a partner. 

Conclusion 

Individual behavioral health practitioners have sufficient challenges, and credentialing is not among them. With the appropriate credentialing company in place, you can concentrate on providing to the patients, expansion of your practice, and compliance, as in the case of Credex Healthcare. These businesses can affect the existence of your independent practice drastically, be it entering the industry or adding new payers. Research, compare, and select the appropriate credentialing partner. A great company will provide you with not only the assistance on getting credentialed but also will be one of the stories of your success. 

Let’s get professional assistance with credentialing in your solo therapy practice.  

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FAQs 

1. Which credentialing company is the best as far as solo therapists are concerned? 

It is based on your requirements. Only mental health professionals can effectively use TheraThink and Practice Solutions. The support models provided by Alma and Headway are different and easily distinguishable. 

2. What are the differences between behavioral health credentialing needs? 

Behavioral health providers can use Medicaid, which may require detailed records of treatment methods and licensure types that could differ from other fields. 

3. Is it possible to perform credentialing myself? 

It takes time and is simple, yes. The credentialing companies for Solo Providers speed up the process by increasing the chances of approval. 

4. But how long does solo credentialing take? 

The typical payoff period is 60-120 days, according to the payer. The process can be accelerated with the help of some credential firms. 

5. Do behavioral health providers have to use CAQH? 

That is, registration and re-attestation at CAQH are required for most commercial insurers.