Moving Your Practice to a New State: Credentialing Checklist
Enrollments are billed 50% at the start and 50% at submission; everything else 100% at the start.
- Flat PricesNo percentage of collections
- Half Now, Half at SubmissionFor every enrollment application
- Closed Network?Your choice of a refund or a credit
- Live Status TrackingCheck any application by reference number
When a clinician moves to a new state, almost nothing carries over on its own. The license, the DEA registration, the Medicare contractor, the Medicaid program and the Blue plan are all state by state. The NPI and the CAQH (DataSpring) profile do carry over, but both still list your old address until you change them, and payers compare every new application against them. Do the steps below in order and the new-state applications go out clean.
Pick Your New State
Each page names the licensing board, the compacts the state is actually in, the Medicare contractor, the Medicaid portal, the Blue plans and any state controlled substance registration.
- Moving to New Jersey Novitas Solutions
- Moving to California Noridian Healthcare Solutions
- Moving to New York National Government Services
- Moving to Texas Novitas Solutions
- Moving to Florida First Coast Service Options
- Moving to Pennsylvania Novitas Solutions
- Moving to Ohio CGS Administrators
- Moving to Illinois National Government Services
- Moving to Massachusetts National Government Services
- Moving to North Carolina Palmetto GBA
- Moving to Michigan WPS Government Health Administrators
- Moving to Washington Noridian Healthcare Solutions
- Moving to Georgia Palmetto GBA
- Moving to Virginia Palmetto GBA
- Moving to Maryland Novitas Solutions
- Moving to Colorado Novitas Solutions
The Checklist, Step by Step
- Get the new state license. Apply to the state medical board, or the board of nursing for nurses and nurse practitioners. A compact (the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Nurse Licensure Compact, PSYPACT, the Counseling Compact) helps only if both states are members, and PSYPACT covers telepsychology and short temporary practice, not a permanent move.
- Register with DEA for the new state. DEA registrations are state-specific. Change the address on your current registration if you are leaving, or add a registration if you will practice in both states. Some states also require their own controlled substance registration, such as the New Jersey CDS registration and the Massachusetts MCSR.
- Cover the new state on your malpractice policy before your first patient there, and settle tail or prior-acts coverage if you change carriers.
- Add the new practice location to your NPI record in NPPES. The NPI itself never changes. Keep the old location if you still practice there; an NPI record can list more than one. Changes are due within 30 days.
- Update your CAQH (DataSpring) profile with the new location, license, DEA and malpractice certificate, then re-attest.
- Update Medicare in PECOS. A different Medicare contractor means a new CMS-855I with that contractor; the same contractor means adding a location. File the reassignment to your new group at the same time.
- Enroll in the new state's Medicaid program, then each Medicaid managed care plan you want.
- Get credentialed with the new state's Blue plan and the national plans at the new location. A Blue contract in one state does not cover another.
Run Medicare, Medicaid and the commercial applications in parallel once the license, NPI record and CAQH profile show the new address. Typical timing from a complete application: Medicare 45 to 90 days, Medicaid 60 to 120 days, commercial plans 90 to 120 days, or the state's legal deadline where it has one (see credentialing deadline laws by state).
What PECS Charges
| Service | Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare enrollment or new location, with reassignment | $500 per provider | 50% at engagement, 50% at submission |
| Medicaid enrollment | $500 per provider per state | 50% at engagement, 50% at submission |
| Each commercial plan | $200 per plan per provider | 50% at engagement, 50% at submission |
| CAQH (DataSpring) update and re-attestation | $250 per provider | At engagement |
| NPI record update | $100 | At engagement |
| Group onboarding, for a new group | $500 one time | At engagement |
Example: one provider with Medicare, one state Medicaid, the CAQH update, the NPI update and 3 commercial plans is $1,950.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first when moving my practice to a new state?
Apply for the new state license. Every other step, from the DEA registration to Medicare and each commercial plan, needs the license number. While the license is pending, collect your documents, confirm malpractice coverage for the new state and plan which payers you need there.
Do I need a new NPI when I move to another state?
No. Your NPI stays the same for life. You add the new practice location to your NPI record in NPPES within 30 days of the change (45 CFR 162.410(a)(4)). If you still practice in your old state, keep that location too; an NPI record can list more than one practice location.
Do I need a new Medicare enrollment when I move?
If the new state is served by a different Medicare Administrative Contractor than your old one, yes: you file a new CMS-855I with the new contractor in PECOS, plus a reassignment if you bill through a group. If the same contractor covers both states, you add the new location to your existing enrollment. The effective date is the later of the filing date or the date you started at the new location (42 CFR 424.520(d)), and you can bill up to 30 days before it when circumstances kept you from enrolling earlier (42 CFR 424.521(a)).
Does my Medicaid enrollment move with me?
No. Each state runs its own Medicaid program, so a new state means a new enrollment with that state, and then a separate credentialing with each Medicaid managed care plan you want to join. If you still see patients in your old state, keep that enrollment active.
Do I need a new DEA registration in the new state?
Yes. DEA requires a separate registration in each state where you handle controlled substances, and the state licensing requirements must be met first. If you are leaving your old state, you can change the address on your current registration; if you will practice in both, you need a registration in each. Some states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois and Maryland, also require their own controlled substance registration.
What does PECS charge to move my credentialing?
Medicare enrollment or new location $500 per provider, Medicaid $500 per provider per state, each commercial plan $200 per plan per provider, CAQH (DataSpring) update $250, NPI record update $100 and group onboarding $500 one time. Enrollments are billed 50% at engagement and 50% at submission. One provider with Medicare, one state Medicaid, the CAQH update, the NPI update and 3 commercial plans is $1,950.
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Answers cover PECS services, prices and process. For legal, tax or clinical questions please consult a professional.
Sources
- CMS-855I Medicare enrollment application (practice locations in another MAC jurisdiction need a separate 855I)
- 42 CFR 424.520(d): effective date of billing privileges
- 42 CFR 424.521(a): billing up to 30 days before the effective date
- 45 CFR 162.410(a)(4): report NPI data changes within 30 days
- DEA Diversion Control: registration FAQ (separate registration in each state)
- Interstate Medical Licensure Compact member list (CSG)
- Nurse Licensure Compact (NCSBN)
- PSYPACT map
- Counseling Compact map
By the PECS credentialing team, updated October 20, 2026.