Our team evaluated a range of insurance credentialing services for therapists and identified the top five options. While some specialize exclusively in credentialing, others provide comprehensive services including billing, marketing, and practice management. The best insurance credentialing services streamline the process, making it simple for therapists to become in-network and start seeing clients with ease.
Our Favorite Credentialing Options
- Best for Credentialing Only - National Credentialing Solutions | Read review
- Most Flexible - Alma | Read review
- Most Insurance Variety - Grow Therapy | Read review
- Best for Insurance-Only Practices - Headway | Read review
- Best All-In-One Option - SonderMind | Read review
Top Options At a Glance
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Managed credentialing for physicians and therapists -
Commercial plans and Medicare
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Can be expensive -
Pricing info not publicly available
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Comprehensive set of features -
Offers EHR, telehealth, directory, and more
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Requires a monthly fee -
Only available in 33 states
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Free to join with no ongoing costs -
Handles all aspects of in-network billing
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External telehealth platform
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Free to use for therapists -
Features for insurance and out-of-pocket billing
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No EHR features -
Some report low reimbursement rates
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Completely free to join -
Offers same-day reimbursement
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Only available in 15 US states
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Data Points AnalyzedChoosing Therapy’s reviews are fair, honest, thorough and based on firsthand experience. To date, we’ve reviewed mental health solutions offered by more than 300 companies. That has involved more than 2,350 hours of firsthand use and consideration of over 1,150 data points. Our editorial policies outline a rigorous review process, but they all boil down to this: produce reviews that our own friends and family can rely on. Learn more here.
Detailed Company Reviews
Mental health billing and credentialing services are numerous, and deciding what solution to use for your practice can be a challenge. Below, we will cover our picks for the best insurance credentialing services for mental health providers.
Insurance Credentialing & In-Network Billing Platforms
If you’re aiming to get credentialed with insurance and start billing in-network smoothly, partnering with an in-network billing platform could be an excellent choice. These platforms allow you to join their network as an independent contractor, where you provide therapy services at pre-negotiated rates while they handle the administrative tasks.
This approach simplifies the credentialing process, helping you start seeing clients more quickly. Alongside traditional credentialing services, we’ll also explore some of these in-network billing platforms to help you find the best fit for your practice.
Cost: Varies
Features Offered: Fully managed insurance provider credentialing
If you’re looking to panel with multiple insurance payors at once with minimum effort, National Credentialing Solutions is a great choice. The company boasts a full team of credentialing specialists to help you get credentialed as quickly and easily as possible.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Offers fully-managed credentialing for physicians and therapists
- Works with commercial plans and Medicare
- Credential with multiple payors simultaneously
- Negotiate better rates than you would by credentialing on your own
- Easily monitor the credentialing process from start to finish
Cons - Credentialing services can be expensive
- No publicly available pricing information
Cost
National Credentialing Solutions tailors its services to you, so they do not provide general pricing guidelines. Pricing is conducted on a case-by-case basis, so you’ll have to send in a few details and discuss what options are available for you.
Overview
National Credentialing Solutions is a credentialing consulting company that helps physicians, medical providers, and therapists get credentialed with the most important insurance payors in their area. Rather than handle the process independently, or partner with a billing platform, practitioners are able to outsource the credentialing legwork entirely.
When credentialing through a consultant like National Credentialing Solutions, you’ll provide a great deal of documentation and they’ll handle the administrative burden and negotiations on your behalf.
As well, you will need to join the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH), as most payors use this database for credentialing purposes.
Some documentation you’ll need to gather for working with a credentialing consultant includes:
- State license
- Current CV
- Malpractice insurance
- Diploma showing your highest education level
- Board certifications (if applicable)
- Current driver’s license
- NPI
- CAQH ID, with login credentials
Price: $125 monthly; $1,140 annually
Services Offered: Credentialing with major payors, marketing, full billing management
Alma combines a bundled EHR suite with its insurance billing platform, offering billing for both in-network and self-pay clients in the same system. Alma allows clinicians to retain more control over their schedules and rates, making it the most flexible choice for practice management and billing.
Pros & Cons
Pros - More comprehensive system of features than other directory and insurance billing platforms
- EHR features, such as treatment plan templates, telehealth, and others
- Higher reimbursement rates than competitors, according to some members
- Discounts on annual memberships
- Comprehensive community and continuing education content
Cons - One of the only directory and insurance billing platforms that require a monthly fee
- No publicly available information about reimbursement rates – however, this is usually the case with this type of platform
- To use Alma, you must be fully, independently licensed
- No free trial period
Cost
Alma costs $125 monthly or $1,140 annually. This cost includes all of the features of Alma. There is no free trial or demo period offered. Reimbursement rates will vary significantly depending on your location, credentials, and other variables, however, Alma’s contracted rates are usually higher than a therapist could obtain through credentialing on their own.
Overview
Alma is a comprehensive billing and directory platform for therapists and psychologists. Features include billing support, insurance credentialing, and a provider directory. Alma costs $125 monthly or $1,140 annually; there is no free trial available.
Features included in Alma’s cost include:
- A simple insurance credentialing and billing solution
- Insurance-first directory profile listing and client-matching service
- Scheduling and appointment reminder features
- HIPAA-compliant Zoom-based telehealth platform
- Treatment plan templates and clinical tools like PHQ-9 and GAD-7
To learn more about how Alma stacks up with the competition, read our full review of Alma for Therapists for more details.
Our team was impressed with Alma. It offers a large pool of potential clients, a wide variety of insurance payors and also includes EHR features. It’s an ideal platform for those who would prefer to stick to just one platform at a time because it’s an all-in-one system. Alma’s integrated EHR features share a lot in common with the best mental health EHRs on the market today.
Price: Free
Features Offered: Credentialing with major payors, marketing, full billing management
Grow Therapy is partnered with the most insurance plans out of any billing platform on our list. It’s a great option for handling both in-network and cash-pay clients. However, you’ll need an external app for EHR or telehealth features.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Free to join with no ongoing costs
- Handles all aspects of in-network billing
- Features for billing cash-pay clients
- Therapists and medication providers alike can join
- In-network with Medicare and Medicaid
- Grow Therapy covers costs for Psychology Today and Zocdoc listings
Cons - Users report that customer support is not well-implemented
- Reports of client confusion over billing issues
- Subpar EHR features, according to users
- Telehealth requires an external subscription to Doxy.me
Cost
Grow Therapy is completely free for practitioners to join. Instead of taking fees from clients or practitioners, Grow Therapy has contracts with the insurance payors it works with and earns fees through them. This model is common among services like Grow Therapy and allows therapists to get started with minimal barriers.
Overview
Grow Therapy is a comprehensive billing and directory platform for therapists and psychologists. Features include insurance credentialing, premium in-network reimbursement rates, and a provider directory. Grow Therapy has no costs to join as a provider.
Grow Therapy states that it takes 1-4 months, on average, to get fully credentialed and ready-to-bill sessions for any given payor.
For more details on how Grow Therapy stacks up with the competition, visit our full Grow Therapy employee review.
Grow Therapy is a good option for therapists seeking to begin billing for in-network services. The platform offers a lot of value and is a much faster and more lucrative route to in-network billing than contracting independently. The lack of upfront or ongoing fees means most practices will find it worthwhile to at least find out what reimbursement rates are for your practice.
Grow Therapy is a good option for therapists seeking to begin billing for in-network services. The platform offers a lot of value and is a much faster and more lucrative route to in-network billing than contracting independently. The lack of upfront or ongoing fees means most practices will find it worthwhile to at least find out what reimbursement rates are for your practice.
However, it’s somewhat smaller than other competitors, so, depending on your particular situation, you may need to partner with multiple platforms in order to reach a full caseload.
Price: Free
Services Offered: Credentialing with major payors, marketing, full billing management
Headway is a major in-network billing platform that offers exposure to many potential clients and manages all aspects of in-network billing. According to Headway, the service works with more insurance payors and offers better reimbursement rates than any other platform. However, you can’t use the Headway platform for your cash-pay clients.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Headway is free to use for therapists
- Additional features for insurance and out-of-pocket billing
- Existing clients can be imported into Headway for easy management
- Most-used in-network billing platform available
- Billing features for insurance and private pay clients
- Both talk therapists and medication practitioners are able to join
Cons - You must be fully licensed to use Headway
- No features for practice management or documentation
- Some users reported lower reimbursement rates than competitors
Cost
There is no cost for joining Headway as a therapist. The service can be offered for free to practitioners upfront, as Headway negotiates all billing rates with insurance payors and will receive a portion of that payout. If you choose to work with Headway, you will sign on as an independent (1099) contractor who handles all aspects of client care, while Headway handles client billing and marketing.
Overview
Headway is a service for therapists and mental health practitioners to manage insurance billing and marketing. Headway’s directory allows clients to view therapists that are in-network with their insurance. There is no cost for joining Headway as a therapist.
There are no features for EHR or practice management, as some other options offer. To learn more about how Headway differs from the competition, take a look at our full Headway for therapists review. Headway offers excellent in-network billing services. It’s one of the most popular and heavily used options available today, so they may be able to offer better reimbursement rates. However, the more practitioners that are on a platform, the more competition you’ll be faced with.
If you’re looking for a very high-volume billing platform to partner with, and don’t need any built-in EHR features, then Headway is a great option.
Cost: Free
Features Offered: Credentialing with major payors, marketing, full billing management, EHR features
SonderMind occupies a unique space that attempts to solve every administrative problem a mental health practitioner may run across. It offers solutions for credentialing, in-network billing, and cashpay billing, and also offers deep EHR features and integration. According to SonderMind, the company intends to be a one-stop shop for practitioners who want to focus on their clients without administrative burden.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Completely free to join
- Option for same-day reimbursement
- Includes good EHR features that all integrate with one another well
- Clinical outcome measures and custom form templates included
- Smart, intuitive, well-implemented design
Cons - Only available in 15 US states
- Included forms and clinical measures are limited compared to top EHRs
Cost
SonderMind is completely free for practitioners to join. Rather than taking fees from clients or practitioners, SonderMind has contracts with the insurance payors and earns commissions through them. This model is common among services such as SonderMind and allows therapists to get started with minimal barriers.
Overview
SonderMind is a comprehensive billing and directory platform for therapists and psychologists. Features of SonderMind include insurance credentialing, premium in-network reimbursement rates, and a built-in provider directory. SonderMind has no costs to join as a provider.
Through SonderMind, you’ll be able to manage both in-network and out-of-network client billing. Upon your acceptance into the platform, you’ll be able to start seeing clients that are billing out-of-network or cash-pay. Then, after you’ve been credentialed with insurance payors (1-4 months), SonderMind will handle all of your in-network billing.
By default, providers on SonderMind’s platform are paid every two weeks for sessions they’ve completed. SonderMind also offers the option for providers to be paid immediately for sessions they submit; however, this will incur a charge of 2% of the total payout.
To learn more about SonderMind, visit our full SonderMind for therapists review.
Final Verdict
“Choosing the right credentialing service can make all the difference for therapists navigating the complexities of insurance billing. For those focused solely on credentialing, National Credentialing Solutions is the top pick, offering streamlined support for getting in-network. Alma stands out for its flexibility, accommodating both in-network and self-pay clients while helping clinicians manage their schedules and rates. If you’re looking for a platform with a wide range of insurance options, Grow Therapy excels, making it easier to match with diverse client needs.
For practices that focus exclusively on insurance clients, Headway is the best fit, simplifying the process with their insurance-first approach. Meanwhile, SonderMind takes the crown as the best all-in-one solution, combining credentialing, EHR, and client matching into a seamless platform.”
Standalone Insurance Credentialing Vs. Insurance-Based Therapist Directory Platforms
Standard insurance credentialing consultants and insurance-based therapist directory platforms offer two distinct approaches to managing in-network billing. With credentialing consultants, you maintain full independence, handling all aspects of your practice, from credentialing to client management and billing. In contrast, directory platforms like Headway, Grow, or Alma allow you to operate as an independent contractor, focusing solely on clinical care while the platform manages administrative tasks like eligibility checks, billing, and claims.
The choice between these methods often depends on how much administrative work you’re willing to handle. Credentialing consultants streamline the initial credentialing process but leave the ongoing management to you. Directory platforms, however, reduce your administrative load, allowing you to focus more on client care.
Each approach has its pros and cons, so it’s essential to consider what level of support and independence best fits your practice’s needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Insurance Credentialing?
Insurance credentialing for mental health providers is the process by which individual practitioners or doctors affiliate with insurance payors to ensure reimbursement for care provided to that insurance payor’s network of clients. In the credentialing process, insurance payors conduct a deep review of a given practitioner’s qualifications to ensure quality and to determine the rate of reimbursement.
After a practitioner has become “in-network” with an insurance payor, clients that have a covered insurance plan will be able to use this practitioner for services with the knowledge that they will be covered.
Is Credentialing With Insurance Payors Worth It for Therapists?
Whether or not credentialing with insurance payors is worth it for any given therapist is a very complex question. It depends on a number of factors including the major payors in your area, your caseload, your expertise and credentials, and many others.
It’s worth noting that managing the credentialing process independently can be time-consuming, and providers who partner with in-network billing providers like Headway or Alma are more likely to achieve better reimbursement rates than they would if they’d contracted independently.
What Does It Mean for a Therapist to be Paneled?
Insurance paneling and credentialing are interchangeable terms. Both words refer to the process of a medical provider or therapist becoming “in-network” with a given insurance payor.
What Is The Difference Between Insurance Credentialing and Paneling?
There is no difference between insurance credentialing and paneling. Both terms refer to the process of a provider becoming in-network with a given insurance payor’s network of clients.
Choosing Therapy strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
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Church, M. (2024) Grow Therapy Employee Review: Is It Worth It For Therapists? Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/grow-therapy-employee-review/
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Church, M. (2024) Headway for Therapists: Is It Worth It In 2024? Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/headway-for-therapists-review/
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Church, M. (2024). SonderMind Employee Review: Is It Worth It For Therapists? Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/sondermind-for-therapists-review/
We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.
Author: Melissa Boudin, PsyD (New author)
Medical Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, MD (New medical reviewer)
Primary Changes: Complete rewrite of article. Fact-checked all information and reconsidered/made changes to the recommendations list based on research and product testing. Updated where necessary to improve factual accuracy and readability. One company removed from list: Sosa Practice Partners. Added no companies to list.
Author: Matthew Church, MS
Medical Reviewer: Melissa Boudin, PsyD
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