This will depend on many factors, but most importantly on which state you are credentialing in. Based on our experience, we know, on average, how long the process might take in each state. While some states move faster, on average, you can expect about 6 months from the time we submit your application to when we have your contract. Do some plans process your applications more quickly? Absolutely! However, given our 20+ years of credentialing dietitians, ‘stuff’ always seems to happen beyond our control, which adds time to the process. We will communicate regularly throughout the process, keeping you as informed as possible.

First, you will need to fill out an application. YES. We will require a significant amount of information, including your practice location (YES! You need a physical address in the state you are credentialing in). Expect to provide information like your business entity (sole proprietor, LLC, or S-Corp), copies of your license (if applicable), certification information (if applicable), business checking account to set your electronic payments, NPI numbers, and login information; if you choose to credential with Medicare, we will NEED your social security number. So, while we will handle the credentialing process, you must provide us with the information needed to complete the job. If you need guidance on obtaining specific requirements, we will do our very best to help. So don’t stress at all about that. But we want to be transparent and say that we will need a lot of information from you—so much that it may even feel intrusive. Trust us, we just need it all for our job.

Absolutely. But it will depend on what state you will be credentialed in. Certain states don’t allow CNSs to provide MNT, nor do they issue licenses to to CNSs. So, if you are in a state that will enable you to get credentialed with the insurance companies and have all the necessary information, we would love to help you get credentialed

Before we begin credentialing, you must have determined your business structure (sole proprietor, LLC, or S-Corp). This is because we will need the tax ID associated with your business (a.k.a. your business’s EIN). If your EIN changes (because you change business structures), you must start the credentialing process from the beginning with your new EIN. The insurance companies see a ‘new’ EIN as a new business. So, unfortunately, you will need a whole new contract issued to the new EIN. Therefore, if you have not determined your legal business entity, we can’t work with you until you do.

Yes and No. It will generally go quicker because we know exactly how to complete and process your application. Many dietitians get ‘stuck’ on specific application questions or fill them out incorrectly, which adds more time to the actual process. However, the process will take the same time for someone who knows what they are doing. Meaning we are not able to do any ‘magic.’ We will complete your application as fast as possible, consistent with the terms associated with our agreement. However, using our services will not expedite the credentialing and contracting process.

We generally know the rules regarding credentialing dietitians in all states. So, before we start working with you in most scenarios, we already know which state insurance markets are temporarily or indefinitely closed. Once we receive your application and know what state you will be credentialing in, we will let you know our particular strategy for you. But the answer will always be NO for certain insurance products. There are specific markets that don’t directly credential dietitians or CNSs. And no matter who does the credentialing (YOU or us), no dietitians are getting in.

Yes and No. Sometimes, it does go slightly faster. But most of the time, it takes about the same time (around 6 months). And in some cases, it takes more time because our team needs to ‘untangle’ you from the other practice.