What credentialing actually is
Credentialing is the process of verifying a provider's qualifications — education, training, licenses and history — and enrolling them with payers so claims can be paid. It includes CAQH and NPI setup, plus enrollment with commercial plans, Medicare and Medicaid.
How long it takes
Plan for 60–120 days per payer, sometimes longer for Medicare/Medicaid. Starting early — ideally before a new provider's start date — is the single biggest way to avoid lost revenue.
What causes delays
Incomplete CAQH profiles, missing documents, signature gaps, and simply losing track of where each application stands. Credentialing is mostly a project-management problem: someone has to chase every payer to the finish line.
What it should cost
Some companies charge a per-provider fee. Others include it with billing. Either way, the value is in follow-through — an application that stalls for months is far more expensive than any fee.
How Synergy handles credentialing
Credentialing is included free with Synergy's revenue cycle management. We complete and track every application, maintain your CAQH profile, and follow each payer contract to its load date — so your providers start getting paid as soon as possible. Learn more about our credentialing service.