The Dos and Don’ts of Medical Credentialing

Medical credentialing is a necessary, but complicated, process. After all, ensuring the qualifications of a physician is easier said than done. While medical credentialing will never be easy, there are ways to make it less stressful on you and your physicians. Here are some things you should do, and some things you shouldn’t do, when it comes to medical credentialing:

DO start early

Medical credentialing takes time, and you need to make sure you have enough of it. It takes roughly three to five months in order to receive a completed contract, that’s almost half of the year. To save yourself a few headaches down the line, start the process as early as you can.

DON’T accept incomplete applications

Medical credentialing needs to be done thoroughly and accurately. This cannot be accomplished if people don’t fill out the proper information. If you notice missing information on any applications or documents, send them back and request that they be filled out in their entirety.

DO go to primary sources

In order to be sure of your facts, you need to go directly to the source. This is true for journalism, as well as credentialing. When checking the qualifications of your physicians, go straight to the physician’s medical school or residency program in order to get your information.

DON’T have just one way to contact references

As you’re requesting references, be sure to ask for multiple forms of contact information. This means asking your physician to provide not only a name and phone number, but also a reference’s email and even their address. This will ensure that you can contact each reference and hear from them directly.

DO consider outsourcing your medical credentialing

Medical credentialing can either be done in-house, or it can be outsourced. While having it in-house is convenient, oftentimes practices don’t have time to thoroughly credential each candidate. Outsourcing it, however, will ensure that it’s done in a professional and timely manner.

Here at Medical Revenue Associates, we can take on the credentialing process so that you don’t have to. Give us a call at 215-497-1001 to learn more.