If you are a mental health practitioner looking for a way to grow your practice and increase your income, you might be interested in joining Alma’s insurance program. Alma is a platform that helps therapists accept insurance from major payers like Aetna, Cigna, and Optum, while taking care of all the administrative tasks involved in credentialing, billing, and claims submission.
In this blog post, we will explain what credentialing is, why it is important for therapists who want to accept insurance, and how Alma can make the process easy and fast for you.
What is credentialing?
Credentialing is the process of verifying the qualifications of a practitioner. Credentials are documented evidence of a provider’s licensure, specialties, education, work history, professional liability insurance, and any malpractice or sanction reports. For NPs and MDs, this also includes DEA registration and board certification.
Credentialing is required by insurance payers to ensure that their members receive quality care from qualified providers. Credentialing also enables providers to access enhanced rates and get paid faster by insurance payers.
What is Alma Insurance Credentialing?
Alma Insurance Credentialing is the process by which healthcare providers obtain approval from insurance companies to be part of their networks. This involves verifying the provider’s qualifications, education, experience, and licensure to ensure that they meet the requirements for participation in the insurance company’s network.
How does Alma help with credentialing?
Alma simplifies the credentialing process for therapists by collecting, reviewing, and submitting their credentials to insurance payers on their behalf. Alma’s credentialing process enables members to be in-network with insurance payers and grants access to enhanced payback rates under Alma’s tax ID.
Alma can help you get credentialed with one or more of their insurance partners in less than 45 days. You can choose from Aetna, Cigna, or Optum (which includes United Healthcare, Oxford, Oscar, and United Healthcare Student Resources). You can also indicate which states you are licensed and want to operate in, as Alma can credential you for any state where you wish to submit claims.
Once you are credentialed with Alma’s insurance program, you can see clients who have in-network insurance and who will be physically located in a state where you are both licensed and credentialed when receiving care. You can also diversify your caseload and get more client referrals by accepting insurance.
Benefits of Alma Insurance Credentialing
1. Increased Patient Volume
Insurance credentialing through Alma can help you increase your patient volume. Patients often prefer providers who are in-network with their insurance company, as it typically means lower out-of-pocket costs for them. By being in-network with multiple insurance companies, you can attract more patients and increase your revenue.
2. Improved Reimbursement Rates
Being in-network with insurance companies also means that you can negotiate better reimbursement rates for your services. This can help you maximize your revenue and improve your bottom line.
3. Enhanced Credibility
Alma Insurance Credentialing can also enhance your credibility as a healthcare provider. By being in-network with reputable insurance companies, you can establish yourself as a trusted and reliable provider in your community.
4. Streamlined Administrative Processes
Alma Insurance Credentialing can also streamline your administrative processes. Once you’re in-network with an insurance company, you’ll have access to their administrative systems, which can help you manage claims, track patient information, and communicate with insurance companies more efficiently.
5. Increased Patient Satisfaction
Finally, insurance credentialing through Alma can help you increase patient satisfaction. Patients are more likely to be satisfied with their healthcare experience when they can access high-quality care that is covered by their insurance. By being in-network with multiple insurance companies, you can offer your patients a wider range of coverage options and improve their overall experience.
What are the benefits of joining Alma’s insurance program?
By joining Alma’s insurance program, you can enjoy the following benefits:
1. Grow your practice: 90% of clients come to Alma looking for in-network care. By accepting insurance, you can attract more clients who need affordable mental health care.
2. Increase your income: Access enhanced rates and get paid within two weeks of each appointment. With Alma, offering affordable care doesn’t mean sacrificing your take home pay.
3. Focus on client care: Alma handles all of the paperwork, from eligibility checks to claims submissions, with guaranteed payment. You don’t have to worry about billing or chasing payments from insurance payers.
4. Support and community: Alma provides admin and caseload management support, timesaving tools to streamline care, and professional development opportunities. You can also connect with other therapists who share your values and goals.
How can I join Alma’s insurance program?
If you are interested in joining Alma’s insurance program, you can fill out this form to get started: https://helloalma.com/for-providers/insurance/
Provide some basic information about yourself and your practice, such as your name, email address, phone number, state of license, specialties, availability, etc.
You will also need to complete an Insurance Onboarding Form that will ask for more details about your credentials and preferences. You will need to upload copies of your license(s), CV/resume, malpractice insurance certificate(s), DEA registration (if applicable), board certification (if applicable), etc.
Once you submit your forms, our team will review them and contact you within 24 hours to confirm your eligibility and next steps.
We look forward to welcoming you to our community of therapists who are passionate about providing quality mental health care to more people.
Who can I be credentialed with in Alma’s insurance program?
Alma is currently partnered with Optum (which includes United Healthcare, Oxford, Oscar, and United Healthcare Student Resources), Aetna, and Cigna. In order to be eligible for payment under Alma’s insurance program, you must be licensed and credentialed under Alma for any state in which you wish to submit claims. A full list of payers and geographies can be found here.
If you’re interested in becoming credentialed with one of our insurance partners, need help managing your CAQH profile, adding a license, or altering your practice locations at Alma, please fill out this form: Alma Insurance Program – Update Form (only submit this form if you have already submitted your Insurance Onboarding Form).
Who can I see when credentialed with Alma’s insurance program?
You will get an email from our team upon your Credentialing Effective Date. This process can take right around 45 days from the date that your credentialing was submitted. You are welcome to see cash-pay clients until your credentialing effective date if you are interested.
Once you have been successfully credentialed with an Alma insurance partner(s), you can see clients who have in-network insurance and who will be physically located in a state where you are both licensed and credentialed when receiving care.
You can read more about in-network insurance payers and Alma’s current geographies in our support center: Network Partners and Geographies.
If you plan to see insurance clients across more than one state, you must indicate each state license you plan to operate under by including this in the Insurance Onboarding Typeform that you complete as part of your onboarding. This allows the Alma team to credential each of your licenses with any insurance payers you’ve requested to work with via our program. If you have another license you’d like to credential, you can submit that information to us here (only submit this form if you have already submitted your Insurance Onboarding Form). You can read more about seeing clients across different states here: Cross-State Licensure Rules.
How long does it take to be credentialed?
Once our team receives your completed Insurance Onboarding Form details, your credentialing can take up to 45 days. We do everything we can to expedite the process and will always reach out if there is any additional information we need from you!
When I’m credentialed, is any of my contact information available online through the payers?
When you sign your membership agreement to be credentialed through Alma’s Insurance Program with one of our network partners, you agree to allow Alma to submit your required demographic information to the network partner. This demographic information will live in that insurance payer’s online directory, where clients are able to search for in-network providers by logging in to their insurance plan’s online portal.
While the demographic information that is requested and shared varies by insurance partner, Alma will typically share some or all of the following information with our insurance network partners:
- Provider Name
- Provider License Number
- Provider NPI
- Provider Board Certification, if applicable
- Provider DEA license number, if applicable
- Alma’s Associates State Practice Addresses Matching Provider Licenses,
- Alma’s Billing Address
- Any Provider Practice Address, if submitted to Alma
- Alma’s Phone Number, unless requested by the provider
- Website Linking to Alma’s Provider Profile (Optum only)
- Medical School/ University
Please note that with our partnership with Cigna, we don’t submit any provider demographic information. As such, providers will not be able to find themselves on the Cigna directory through their Alma credentialing.
Since you are credentialed under Alma’s Tax ID, we generally default to using Alma’s information, but you can always submit this insurance update form if you’d like to credential an additional practice location or have your own phone number listed in an insurance payer directory. Please note that it can take 30 days for insurance payers to update demographic information in their directories once Alma submits the request on your behalf, and that Alma can only update the demographic information associated with your credentialing through Alma.
Can I use Alma’s address for my DEA license or NPI registration?
While we understand not wanting to use your home address for registration purposes, we are not able to allow Alma’s address to be used for personal DEA license or NPI registration. If you do not have a personal business address to use for registration, we recommend using a virtual or alternative address location. To learn more about these options, see:
How will I find out when I’m credentialed?
You will receive an email from our team once your credentialing is complete! This email will include the date on which you can begin seeing in-network clients with the payers you’ve enrolled with. This is also the date that Alma can start submitting claims on your behalf.
How can I view or manage my credentialing?
You can manage your credentialing directly in the Alma portal by going to Account Settings > Insurance Credentials. Here, you can check your credentialing status, request updates to your credentialing (ie. add a state license to credential or update your CAQH profile), and view the states and payers you are currently credentialed with. See How to View or Manage Your Credentialing for more information.
How to Get Alma Insurance Credentialing
Step 1: Determine if Alma Insurance is Right for You
The first step in the process of getting Alma insurance credentialing is to determine if Alma insurance is the right fit for you. Alma is a mental health insurance provider that offers insurance plans to clients seeking mental health treatment. Before you begin the credentialing process, research the insurance plans offered by Alma, and make sure they align with your practice’s needs and values.
Step 2: Ensure You Meet Alma’s Requirements
Once you’ve determined that Alma is the right fit for your practice, the next step is to ensure you meet Alma’s credentialing requirements. Alma has specific requirements for mental health providers to become credentialed. Some of these requirements may include:
- A current state license to practice
- Malpractice insurance
- A National Provider Identifier (NPI) number
- Proof of education and training
- A minimum amount of experience
Make sure you review Alma’s requirements carefully to ensure you meet all the criteria.
Step 3: Complete the Alma Credentialing Application
After confirming that you meet Alma’s requirements, the next step is to complete the Alma credentialing application. The application will require you to provide information about your education, training, licensure, and experience. Additionally, you may be required to provide documentation such as diplomas, licenses, and malpractice insurance.
Step 4: Wait for the Review Process
After submitting your application, you will need to wait for Alma to review your application. The review process can take several weeks to several months, depending on the volume of applications and how complete your application is. During this time, you can reach out to Alma to check the status of your application and provide any additional information they may need.
Step 5: Sign Alma’s Agreement
Once your application is approved, you will need to sign Alma’s agreement. The agreement outlines the terms and conditions of your participation with Alma, including reimbursement rates, billing procedures, and ethical and legal standards.
Step 6: Start Accepting Alma Insurance
After signing the agreement, you can begin accepting Alma insurance as a form of payment from your clients. It’s important to ensure that you follow Alma’s billing procedures and submit accurate and timely claims to avoid any delays in reimbursement.
Alma Customer service
Simply call our toll-free number at 1-833-222-2562 to chat with us. We would love to hear from you, and would love even more to help you on your path to health, fulfillment and wellness!
Conclusion
In conclusion, Alma Insurance Credentialing is a crucial process that healthcare providers must go through to ensure they are eligible to participate in insurance networks and receive reimbursements for their services. It involves verifying their credentials, qualifications, and experience to ensure they meet the necessary standards set by insurance companies and regulatory bodies.
By going through this process, healthcare providers can expand their patient base, increase their revenue streams, and provide quality care to their patients. However, it can be a complex and time-consuming process, which is why many providers opt to work with credentialing companies like Alma Insurance Credentialing to streamline the process and ensure success.
If you’re a healthcare provider looking to participate in insurance networks, it’s essential to understand the importance of credentialing and work with a trusted and experienced credentialing company like Alma Insurance Credentialing. By doing so, you can ensure that your practice is operating at its full potential and that your patients are receiving the highest quality care.
