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Insurer guide for therapists

Cigna Credentialing: How Therapists Join Through Evernorth

Cigna credentials therapists through Evernorth Behavioral Health, part of The Cigna Group, not through Cigna's medical side. You apply in the Evernorth provider portal on its Provider Information Form, which must be finished in one sitting, and Evernorth reads your CAQH profile, which you must authorize it to see. Evernorth says joining can take up to 90 calendar days. You need an independent license, and its join page asks therapists without prescribing authority for $1 million/$1 million liability cover.

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By Nasar Haq, Founder and CEO, Medtransic. Last reviewed 2026-11-11.

Stated time
Up to 90 days
calendar days, per Evernorth
CAQH
Every 120 days
re-attest; 180 days in Illinois
Liability
$1M / $1M
non-prescribing providers, per the join page
If we do it
$150
per application, per provider

Where an Evernorth application stands

Illustrative

  • LPC joining a group

    needs the Contracting entitlementPortal access

  • Solo LCSW

    form sent in one sittingPortal access

  • Psychologist

    provisional credentialing in effectPortal access

  • LMFT

    credentialed and contractedPortal access

Illustrative. The stages are Evernorth's own, from its join page and its provisional credentialing FAQ.

Where Cigna Applications Go Wrong

Most problems come from treating Evernorth like Cigna's medical network.

Applying on the medical side
Cigna's 45 to 60 day timeline and emailed packet are for medical providers. Therapists apply to Evernorth in its own portal.
No Contracting entitlement
You cannot open the application without it. Your organization's website access manager assigns it under My Practice, then Manage User Access.
Starting the form unprepared
Evernorth says the form must be completed in a single session. You cannot save it and come back.
CAQH not ready for Evernorth
Evernorth must be authorized to read your profile, and it wants five years of work history with gaps over six months explained. A CV, if you use one, must be dated within two years.
Calling the medical status line
The PSSCentral email and 1-800-88CIGNA are in Cigna's medical section. Behavioral applicants check in the portal or call 800-926-2273.

01Decided by Evernorth, case by case

Seeing Cigna Clients Before Credentialing Is Done

Evernorth may grant provisional credentialing, so you can see Evernorth and Cigna Healthcare clients with claims processed in-network before the full review ends. It starts when your status reads "Contracting packet is complete". It is temporary, and if the full review then fails, payments for that period may be recouped.

Starts at
Packet complete
you get an alert
Claims
In-network
during the provisional period
Risk
Recoupment
if the full review fails

Watch forEvernorth decides eligibility case by case. Do not book Cigna clients on the assumption that you will get it.

02Applied for by each clinician, unless you count as a clinic

Group Practices and Clinics at Evernorth

Evernorth treats four or more independently licensed providers who share a tax ID, location and admin staff as a clinic. A smaller practice applies clinician by clinician, as individual providers. Clinics email a Clinic Information Form and documents for each location and clinician.

Clinic
4+ providers
same tax ID, location and staff
Clinic form
By email
BehavioralOutpatientClinic@Evernorth.com
Locations
All of them
not limited to one tax ID

Watch forEvernorth providers must agree to take part at all their service locations. Plan for that before you add a site.

03Set by Evernorth's Administrative Guidelines (September 2026)

Telehealth and Pre-Licensed Associates

Evernorth's guidelines say telehealth needs no extra credentialing: you attest to its telehealth requirements and Evernorth adds the specialty, and you must meet your state's licensing and technology rules. Pre-licensed associates cannot contract themselves, because Evernorth requires an independent license. Where state rules allow, their services may be billed under a fully credentialed supervisor listed as the rendering provider.

Telehealth
No extra credentialing
an attestation instead
Pay
Unchanged
for virtual sessions
Associates
Under a supervisor
where state rules allow

Watch forThe attestation form linked from Evernorth's forms page (Rev. 10/2022) has no telehealth box. Ask Evernorth how it wants the attestation sent.

What we handle, and what stays with you

Medtransic runs

  • Your Evernorth application, from portal access to a signed contract
  • Your CAQH profile, set up and kept current at no extra cost
  • Credentialing at $150 per application, per provider, with no charge if we find the panel closed

Your practice keeps

  • Your license, liability cover and signatures
  • Which insurers you join
  • Your clinical work

How to Apply to Evernorth, Step by Step

Have everything ready before step four, because the form cannot be saved.

Gather your documents

An independent license in the state where you practice, a CAQH ID with Evernorth authorized and a current attestation, and a W-9 for each tax ID. Prescribers also need a DEA registration at least 60 days from expiry.

Check your liability cover

The join page asks for $1 million/$1 million for most providers, and $1 million/$3 million for physicians and psychiatric nurses with prescriptive authority. Texas and Florida have lower recommended minimums.

Register at Provider.Evernorth.com

Registration starts with your tax ID, and each person needs their own login. New applicants may get limited access, which is enough to apply and check status.

Get the Contracting entitlement

Your website access manager assigns it under My Practice, then Manage User Access, and must assign it to themselves too. Log out and back in for it to take effect.

Complete the Provider Information Form

Open My Practice, then Contracting, and finish the form in one session. The portal then tracks your status and tells you if anything is missing.

Watch for "Contracting packet is complete"

That is when provisional credentialing, if granted, begins. Answer any request quickly and include your NPI or tax ID.

Evernorth's join page and its Administrative Guidelines state liability limits differently: the guidelines describe typical cover of $1 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate. Confirm with Evernorth which applies to you before you buy cover.

State and Program Exceptions

Minnesota, North Dakota, western Wisconsin

Evernorth has an alliance with HealthPartners for managed care there and contracts only for EAP. Apply to HealthPartners for managed care.

Maryland, Ohio, Washington

Since September 1, 2026, providers in these states must apply through the Evernorth provider portal.

Texas and Florida

Lower recommended liability minimums: $200,000/$500,000 in Texas and $100,000/$300,000 in Florida.

Medicare Advantage

Cigna sold its Medicare Advantage business to HCSC in March 2025. HCSC, as HealthSpring, runs the benefits, and Evernorth still contracts and credentials providers in select states.

Employee assistance (EAP)

The client must get an EAP code from Evernorth before the first session, and there are no copays. Routine EAP cases must be seen within two business days.

Recredentialing

Every three years, or more often if state law requires. If your CAQH profile is current and Evernorth is authorized, Evernorth pulls it and contacts you only if needed.

Your client portal, included

Your EHR shows what you billed. Your portal shows what we are doing about it.

Your EHR or practice management system runs your practice, but it does not show you our work. The Medtransic HIPAA Compliant Portal does: every claim and its current stage, the denials we are working, your A/R by age, each payer application and its in-network date, and the documents we still need from you. It is the same record our team works from, and it comes with every client account.

Did that claim get paid?
Every claim with its stage and amount, the denials we're working, and your receivables by age.
Where is my application with Aetna?
Each payer application shows its stage, its history, and the date you can start seeing that payer's patients.
What do you still need from me?
One list of the documents we're waiting on. Upload once, and it reaches every payer that asked for it.
See the client portal →
The billing screen in the Medtransic client portal: totals billed, paid, adjusted and outstanding, a twelve-month chart and A/R by age.
The billing screen. Shown with sample data. It works in any browser, on your desk or your phone. iPhone and Android apps are coming soon.

When Cigna Can Wait

  • If you are pre-licensed, you cannot contract with Evernorth yet. Bill under a credentialed supervisor where your state allows, and apply once you hold an independent license.
  • If only a few clients carry Cigna, start with the insurers most of your clients use. A network exception or a superbill can cover a Cigna client in the meantime.

Questions about Cigna credentialing

How long does Cigna credentialing take?

Evernorth says joining its network can take up to 90 calendar days, or as otherwise required by law. In our experience credentialing usually takes 60 to 90 days with each payer.

Is Cigna credentialing the same as Evernorth credentialing?

For therapists, yes. Cigna Behavioral Health became Evernorth Behavioral Health on September 1, 2021, and Evernorth credentials behavioral health providers for Cigna's network.

How do I check my Cigna credentialing status?

In the Evernorth provider portal at any time, or by calling Provider Services at 800-926-2273 or emailing BehavioralProviderRecruitment@Evernorth.com. Include your NPI or tax ID.

Does Cigna use CAQH for therapists?

Yes. Evernorth lists a CAQH ID as a minimum requirement, must be authorized to read your profile, and expects you to re-attest every 120 days, or 180 days in Illinois.

What liability insurance does Cigna require for therapists?

Evernorth's join page asks most providers for $1 million/$1 million, and physicians and psychiatric nurses with prescriptive authority for $1 million/$3 million. Its Administrative Guidelines describe typical cover of $1 million/$3 million, so confirm which applies to you.

Can I see Cigna clients before my credentialing is finished?

Only if Evernorth grants provisional credentialing, which it decides case by case. It begins at "Contracting packet is complete", and payments may be recouped if the full review fails.

Can a pre-licensed therapist get credentialed with Cigna?

Not as their own provider: Evernorth requires a license to practice without supervision. Where state rules allow, an associate's services can be billed under a fully credentialed supervisor.

Does telehealth need separate credentialing with Cigna?

No. Evernorth's guidelines say providers who meet its telehealth requirements need no additional credentialing; they attest to those requirements and Evernorth adds telehealth to their profile.

How often does Cigna recredential therapists?

Every three years, or more often if state law requires. Without a CAQH profile, Evernorth mails a recredentialing letter about six months ahead.

Can you credential me with Cigna?

Yes. We handle the Evernorth application and your CAQH profile for $150 per application, per provider, with no charge if we find the panel closed.

Keep reading

+ Sources: 8 checked 2026-11-11

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