Credentialing, Contracting + Foundations

We  understand, every dietitian on this journey is at a different stepping stone. We have spent time collecting all the data to know the tried and true processes. During our good fit call, we can  give expert advice on what would be best for you! 

First Step: Be sure to read through this blog and all the FAQs - if you can check off the "checklist" at the bottom then we are ready to assist you! 

If not, please reach out when you have all or most steps complete. 

If yes, schedule a Good Fit Call and let's get ready to start building a thriving practice. 

You will pay $299 for 6 months to be a part of your Foundations cohort where you will work through practice basics and insurance credentialing to build a thriving practice. Then you will pay $250 minimum or 10-15% for at least an additional 6 months (but we hope we work together much longer than 1 year because we want to see your practice grow and succeed!) 

Our credentialing process helps you get into the “Core Four” as we like to call it. We charge a fee of $495 to send credentialing applications to Aetna, Cigna,  United Healthcare, Anthem/ BlueCross BlueShield (or your local BCBS) . Each additional application will be $25. 

No, we can help you get credentialed with the “Core Four” insurance plans during your time in Foundations. You will pay a separate credentialing fee in addition to the Foundations monthly fee. We have two paths for foundations, the path that we submit credentialing applications for you, or if you are already in process or credentialed, we start with practice basics.

If you are not sure where you are at in the process, we are happy to look into it for you at a discounted rate, and pick up where you/ your last team has left off! Again, we have seen it all.

Our program does not teach you how to become credentialed with insurance plans… we simply do it for you! We take away the headache of credentialing so that you can focus on building a successful and thriving practice.

Dietitians working for your practice are considered “rendering providers” and will need to be credentialed with the insurance company. Each provider will need to go through the process to obtain their own NPI, fill out their CAQH and submit applications to each insurance payer. They will be added to your group contract and submit claims under the billing NPI and Tax ID.

We do our best to use our most up to date knowledge of regions that may be "closed" or knowing if insurance panels that do not accept insurance. We don’t want to submit unnecessary paperwork, however, if we do submit and get a denial, we will include 1 resubmission within 6 months in the price. 

Otherwise, we do keep a Credentialing Wishlist, so we can find out more. You will be notified if the region is open and you can decide if you want us to submit on  your behalf for an additional charge!

Foundations last for 6 months because it takes time to become an in-network provider with insurance plans and build a thriving practice. We want to see you succeed for many, many years and we believe that within 6 months we can help you build a successful practice with marketing strategies and standardized operations. Our agreement is to work with each other for a full year once our statement of work is signed. We have found that practices that get up and running within those first 6 months are able sustain their progress and can enter Momentum. 

When you join the Foundations Program, you’ll gain access to a comprehensive blend of group and individual sessions tailored to your unique private practice needs. Our program includes handouts, flexible templates, and a wealth of tried-and-true systems and processes ready to be seamlessly integrated into your practice. From strategic guidance to actionable tools, we’re here to help you build a solid foundation for success. 

Each cohort will have access to a Foundations Leader during their 6 month program. Leaders will answer emails from cohort members weekly, host group meetings, and provide individual sessions to help you map out and implement your thriving practice strategies.

On your credentialing applications, we are required to submit a phone number, which will be shown in the provider directory (the insurance website). We do recommend having a designated practice phone number and have a preferred provider, especially if you want us to answer your phones!

Depending on what phone service you have currently, we can forward calls to your practice admin. We are unable to forward Google Voice, iPlum, or Ring Central phone numbers. We can assist you in getting that number port to a new service. Our preference is to use Grasshopper, use referral link here for a discount.

 In order to work with RDAssist for our scheduling services, you would need to change to Grasshopper phone services. You can create your own account, or add a number to our account for $20 per month. 

 YES! You can see self pay clients, from the start of Foundations and once you get credentialed with insurance plans and receive your effective date, you will be able to start seeing insurance clients. It is great to have a list of clients to contact once you are effective with insurance companies to fill your schedule! We will check benefits for you during this time period too, at no extra charge, once you are effective with an insurance panel. 

 Payments will typically be mailed first as a paper check. Then we can help you set up direct deposit, obtain a bank letter, or void check. It is important to let our team know when you receive your checks so we can assist with the direct deposit process. 

Set up with a payment processor (Stripe is recommended) that integrates with the EHR you choose. Link Stripe with your business bank account. Make sure you are set up as a health care provider so clients can use their HSA/FSA cards! 

Square does not save the patient’s card information on some EHR's, so Stripe is our preference simply due to this. 

CPT codes are used to bill insurance. The most common billing unit is in 15 minute increments, but some codes use 30 minute increments. We can help you determine what codes to bill with to maximize reimbursement.

The minimum fee is $250 to be on our caseload. Once you surpass $2500 per month in revenue, your fee will be percentage based. The $250 minimum is included once you surpass the minimum amount due. 

Ideally, after Foundations you will have marketing strategies that are specific to your practice to help with client retention and bringing on new clients to work with. If for some reason you do not have clients booked after 6 months, we may revisit your marketing strategies and practice operations to help you succeed. However, we can not guarantee that you will be fully booked with clients after completing Foundations. It may take longer to grow into a thriving practice.