Essentially, it is how you become eligible to accept insurance.

Being in network minimizes costs for your patients. Your practice may also benefit from carrier referrals.

We explain the process here.

It depends on your needs and goals. Call us for an in-depth answer! We’ll help you pick the best companies for your practice.

Our credentialing service fee varies according to the scope and complexity of each situation. There are many factors to consider here, including the degree of difficulty involved for your state and provider type, and the carriers you’ve selected.

We stay current and educated on the specific credentialing needs for your alternative or behavioral health care specialty in each state. We have personal contacts in many insurance companies nationally, and can contact them for up-to-the-minute status updates. Because the landscape of the insurance industry is constantly changing, we stay informed on the latest developments through our relationships with billers (including our sister company Acubiller).

Companies that service larger areas are the most popular. The major companies include Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Humana, Coventry, Highmark, Health Net of California, Kaiser, and others.

We work with almost all major insurance companies, but there are a few exceptions. Our team works hard to get our clients credentialed as fast and accurately as we can, but not all insurance companies allow us to meet these goals. Because of this, after many years of frustration and unpredictable service quality, we are no longer offering any credentialing services for Aetna. This was a difficult decision, but ultimately we are confident that this choice will allow us to put our time and energy to better use for all our clients.

Credentialing and data management for Aetna has become so challenging over the years that it thwarts our daily efficiency measures. We’ve found that the time we spend on Aetna does not adequately resolve the issues we’ve had with them. As such, we’ve discontinued our credentialing efforts with Aetna to focus our energies where they will have the greatest impact and be most beneficial to our clients.

For providers who would like to credential with Aetna on their own, we are happy to provide basic information. Just ask us!

In most states, workers’ comp does not require credentialing.

Credentialing is more of an art than a science. In the best case scenario, processing can take 90-120 days. After collecting your information, we submit your applications and follow up regularly with our contacts to make sure your application is processing smoothly and clear any problems that may occur.

Each company you choose to credential with takes us about 10 hours.

No. Eligibility for panels involves many factors, including (but not limited to) your location and areas of practice. When a panel is closed, we can add you to the waiting list.

We provide regular updates.

Our sister company Acubiller provides full-service billing for credentialed acupuncturists who qualify. Contact them for more information!

Alchemy Credentialing does not offer billing services, but our sister company Acubiller is now accepting a limited number of new LPC, LCSW, and PSYD billing clients in OR, TX and WA. For more information, please visit their website here.

Insurance carriers require all credentialed providers, including home-based providers, to have a real physical address that will be posted on public directory websites. P.O. boxes or mailboxes and UPS stores are NOT accepted. If you work from your home, be aware that your home address will be listed online in provider directories.

Providers may opt to use a Virtual Office or a registered agent if they have a physical mailing address. Behavioral Health providers in Oregon may also inquire with Portland Therapy Center about rental of virtual-only locations, as well. If you have questions or concerns about this, please let us know when you sign up.

Please Note: Telehealth-ONLY is no longer an option now that the pandemic is officially over. All providers must be willing to do in-person visits to be credentialed with some of our carriers. Most Insurance carriers are now REQUIRING an in person location. Telehealth ONLY practices are now extremely limited due to the lifting of the Pandemic Emergency measures that allowed for Telehealth-only.