Moving Your Practice to Maryland: 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
A move to Maryland touches every enrollment you have. The license, NPI record, Medicare enrollment, Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice), each commercial plan, your CAQH (DataSpring) profile, your DEA registration and your malpractice policy all have to show Maryland before claims there pay. Here is the order that works, with the Maryland specifics.
The Checklist, Step by Step
- Get the Maryland license. Physicians apply to the Maryland Board of Physicians. Nurses and nurse practitioners apply to the Maryland Board of Nursing. Every later step needs the license number, so start here. Maryland is a member of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. If your current full license is in another member state that can serve as your state of principal license, the compact offers an expedited path to the Maryland license. Maryland is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A nurse who moves their primary residence to another compact state applies for a license in the new home state. Nurse practitioner authority is licensed separately by the Maryland Board of Nursing. Maryland is a PSYPACT state. PSYPACT covers telepsychology and short temporary in-person work, not a permanent move, so a psychologist who relocates still needs a Maryland license. Maryland is a Counseling Compact member. Privileges to practice under that compact are only starting to be issued, so counselors should plan on a Maryland license for now.
- Register with DEA for Maryland. DEA registrations are state-specific: you need a registration in each state where you handle controlled substances, and the state license comes first. If you are leaving your old state, change the address on your current registration to Maryland; if you will practice in both states, get a separate Maryland registration. Maryland also requires a Maryland CDS (Controlled Dangerous Substances) registration from the Office of Controlled Substances Administration (OCSA) in the Maryland Department of Health. Maryland requires registration with its Prescription Drug Monitoring Program before a new or renewed CDS registration is issued.
- Cover Maryland on your malpractice policy. Many policies are written for specific states. Ask your carrier to add Maryland or write a new policy before your first patient there, and settle tail or prior-acts coverage if you are leaving your current carrier.
- Add the Maryland location to your NPI record. Your NPI does not change. Log in to NPPES and add the Maryland practice location within 30 days of the change. If you still practice in your old state, keep that location too; an NPI record can list more than one practice location. Payers check applications against this record, so update it before you apply.
- Update and re-attest your CAQH (DataSpring) profile. Add the Maryland practice location, the Maryland license, the new DEA registration, the Maryland CDS (Controlled Dangerous Substances) registration and the malpractice certificate that covers Maryland, then re-attest. Every commercial plan reads this profile, so do it before any commercial application goes out.
- Update Medicare in PECOS. Medicare in Maryland is handled by Novitas Solutions, jurisdiction JL. If your current enrollment is with a different contractor, file a new CMS-855I with Novitas Solutions; the 855I covers only practice locations inside one contractor's jurisdiction. If Novitas Solutions already has your enrollment, add the Maryland location to it. If you will bill through a group, file the reassignment to that group at the same time. The effective date is the later of the filing date or the date you began seeing patients 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)). File as soon as you have the license and the address.
- Enroll in Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice). Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice) is run by the Maryland Department of Health, and enrollment is filed through ePREP, the Maryland electronic Provider Revalidation and Enrollment Portal. Medicaid enrollment does not transfer between states, so a new state means a new enrollment. Most Maryland Medicaid members are in managed care plans, and each plan credentials you separately once the state enrollment is active. The plans and how to join each one: Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice) managed care plans.
- Get credentialed with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and the other commercial plans. Blue plans in Maryland: CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Blue plans are separate companies licensed state by state, so a Blue contract in your old state does not cover Maryland; apply as a new provider. National plans such as Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare and Humana need the Maryland location added and credentialed before they pay claims there. Maryland law gives commercial plans 150 days to make a credentialing decision, counted from a completed application: the carrier must say within 30 days that it will keep processing it, then accept or reject within 120 days of that notice (Md. Code Ann., Ins. § 15-112). How to join: CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.
What PECS Charges for a Move to Maryland
| Service | Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare enrollment or new location, with reassignment | $500 per provider | 50% at engagement, 50% at submission |
| Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice) enrollment | $500 per provider per state | 50% at engagement, 50% at submission |
| Each commercial plan, including CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield | $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 in Maryland | $500 one time | At engagement |
Example: one provider moving to Maryland with Medicare, Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice), the CAQH update, the NPI update and 3 commercial plans is $1,950. We follow up with every payer until each application is approved, and you can check status any time with your reference number.
Questions About Moving to Maryland
How long does it take to move my credentialing to Maryland?
The Maryland license comes first, and its timing is set by the board. After that, Medicare through Novitas Solutions typically takes 45 to 90 days and Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice) typically 60 to 120 days. Maryland law gives commercial plans 150 days to make a credentialing decision, counted from a completed application: the carrier must say within 30 days that it will keep processing it, then accept or reject within 120 days of that notice (Md. Code Ann., Ins. § 15-112). Run Medicare, Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice) and the commercial applications in parallel once the license, NPI record and CAQH (DataSpring) profile show the Maryland address.
Do I need a new NPI when I move to Maryland?
No. Your NPI stays the same for life. Add the Maryland practice location to your 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 as well; an NPI record can list more than one practice location.
Do I need a new Medicare enrollment to practice in Maryland?
It depends on your current contractor. Maryland is served by Novitas Solutions, jurisdiction JL. If your current enrollment is with a different contractor, you file a new CMS-855I with Novitas Solutions in PECOS, plus a reassignment if you bill through a group. If Novitas Solutions already handles your enrollment, you add the Maryland location instead. 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)).
Can I use a licensure compact to practice in Maryland?
Maryland participates in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Nurse Licensure Compact, PSYPACT and the Counseling Compact. The medical compact speeds up getting the license; it does not replace it, and payer enrollment still has to be done in the new state. PSYPACT covers telepsychology and short temporary practice, not a permanent move.
Do I need a new DEA registration for Maryland?
Yes. DEA requires a separate registration in each state where you handle controlled substances, and the state's licensing requirements have to be met first. If you are leaving your old state, you can change the address on your current registration to Maryland; if you will practice in both states, you need a Maryland registration as well. Maryland also requires a Maryland CDS (Controlled Dangerous Substances) registration from the Office of Controlled Substances Administration (OCSA) in the Maryland Department of Health.
What does PECS charge to move my credentialing to Maryland?
Medicare enrollment or new location $500 per provider, Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice) enrollment $500 per provider, each commercial plan $200 per plan per provider, CAQH (DataSpring) update and re-attestation $250, NPI record update $100, and group onboarding $500 one time if you are setting up a new group. Enrollments are billed 50% at engagement and 50% at submission. One provider with Medicare, Maryland Medicaid (HealthChoice), 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
- Maryland Board of Physicians
- Maryland CDS (Controlled Dangerous Substances) registration
- 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. Compact memberships and board names checked in October 2026; confirm with the board before you apply.