Payers delegate credentialing to organizations that can prove they do it to the payer's standard, which in practice means NCQA's. The organization takes on primary source verification, committee review and ongoing monitoring, and the payer performs an annual audit. In return, new providers are loaded from the organization's roster rather than credentialed one at a time, which cuts the time to payable status dramatically.
ClainetRCM sets up delegated credentialing programs for groups, IPAs and health systems that have the provider volume to justify it, and operates the program day to day so the organization gets the speed without building a credentialing department.
Where this usually goes wrong
What ClainetRCM handles
One coordinator owns the file from intake to effective date, so you always know who to call and what is outstanding.
- Delegation readiness assessment and payer negotiation for delegated agreements
- Credentialing policies and procedures written to NCQA standards
- Primary source verification and credentialing committee operation
- Ongoing monitoring of licenses, sanctions and expirables between cycles
- Monthly delegated roster preparation and submission to each payer
- Annual payer audit preparation, pre-audit file review and corrective action support
What a delegated program has to include
| Written policies | Scope, verification sources, timeframes, committee structure, appeal rights, confidentiality, ongoing monitoring. |
|---|---|
| Verification | Primary source verification within NCQA timeframes for every element. See primary source verification. |
| Committee | A credentialing committee with clinical peer review, documented decisions and minutes. |
| Ongoing monitoring | License, sanction and exclusion checks between re-credentialing cycles, and re-credentialing every 36 months. See re-credentialing. |
| Roster management | Accurate provider rosters submitted to payers on the agreed schedule. |
| Audit readiness | Files and reports that satisfy the payer's annual delegation audit. See NCQA credentialing standards. |
How the work runs
The sequence is the same for every payer and provider type; what changes is which documents and portals each step touches.
- Intake and gap review
Licenses, DEA, board certificates, malpractice, work history and NPI details are collected and compared against what each target payer asks for.
- Profile setup
CAQH ProView, PECOS and payer portals are created or cleaned up, attested and linked to the correct Tax ID and locations.
- Application submission
Every enrollment is filed in dependency order, with a tracking record for each payer, date and reference number.
- Follow-up on a fixed cadence
Payers are contacted on a schedule. Requests for more information are answered the same business day.
- Approval, contract and handoff
Effective dates, provider IDs and fee schedules are logged and loaded into your billing system.
Frequently asked questions
Who qualifies for delegated credentialing?
Payers generally consider groups, IPAs and health systems with a meaningful number of providers, typically dozens or more, and the ability to meet NCQA standards. The exact threshold is set by each payer.
How much faster is delegated credentialing?
Once delegation is in place, a new provider credentialed by the organization is typically loaded by the payer within 30 days of roster submission, compared with 90 to 150 days for standard credentialing.
What do payers audit?
Policies and procedures, a sample of credentialing files for verification completeness and timeliness, committee minutes, ongoing monitoring records and roster accuracy. Failing an audit can result in a corrective action plan or loss of delegation.
Can ClainetRCM operate the program rather than just set it up?
Yes. Most clients have us run the program: verification, committee support, monitoring, rosters and audits, with the organization's medical director chairing the committee.
Read next
Or return to the provider credentialing overview.