Medical credentialing is the process of submitting your application to an insurance carrier to participate with them as a new in-network provider.  Upon submission, the insurance carrier will verify all information provided, making sure that you as a provider have the required training to practice in your field, have met state and federal licensing guidelines and you carry the minimum liability insurance for your related area(s) of expertise.  Once this process has been completed, you will then become contracted with the insurance carrier, agreeing and signing documentation about to the terms outlined by the carrier regarding services rendered, patient treatment restrictions, record keeping, state and federal laws adherence and reimbursement schedules.  This process can take anywhere from a few months to over six (6) months, depending on the complexity of the application submitted, the case load of the credentialing department reviewing the application and the saturation of the area where the provider is located.  Most carriers now require a universal application to be completed and submitted via the CAQH (The Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare, Inc.).  CAQH is a non-profit collaborative alliance of the nation's leading health plans and networks, housing all of the information required related to each provider during the credentialing process.  By accessing the CAQH, this helps to streamline the credentialing process for carriers, as well as make it easier for annual or bi-annual required updates.  Providers can choose to work through the credentialing process on their own and/or work with a company who specializies in helping them to become credentialed with various different carriers.  Credentialing can be done with individual private/commercial insurance carriers, state program (Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, CHP+, etc), military programs (Tricare) and other health related networks (wellness programs, etc.).  Common reasons for an application to be denied are; (1) missing/incomplete information, (2) licensed provider type not allowed to currently contract with the carriers/network, (3) market territory is already saturated by other providers who also provider services to be rendered and (4) lack of required training, licensing or liability insurance.