Credentialing by payer
Join the Aetna Network
- 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
Aetna at a Glance
| Parent company | CVS Health |
|---|---|
| Service area | National commercial network, with Medicaid run state by state through Aetna Better Health plans such as Aetna Better Health of Virginia. |
| How to request to join | An online application picked by provider type: Medical, Behavioral health, Dental or Pharmacy. Hospitals and ancillaries use the Facility request form. Start here |
| Portal | Availity, for providers already in network; it is not where the application is filed. |
| CAQH ProView (DataSpring) | Yes. Aetna credentials and recredentials from CAQH ProView (DataSpring). A provider who is not registered gets a CAQH registration kit within 10 business days of the application request and must then authorize Aetna. |
| Behavioral health | No outside vendor. Therapists and other behavioral health clinicians file Aetna's own Behavioral health application, and the same Credentialing and Performance Committee decides medical and behavioral health files. |
| Recredentialing | Self-reported information and board certification are refreshed at least every three years, or more often where state or federal rules require. |
| Lines of business | Commercial; Medicare Advantage (contracting questions go to 1-800-624-0756); Medicaid through Aetna Better Health, which needs state Medicaid enrollment first. |
How Aetna Takes Applications
Aetna splits the front door by provider type. Physicians, nurse practitioners and medical groups use the Medical application; counselors, social workers and psychologists use the Behavioral health application; hospitals and ancillaries use the Facility request. Aetna then builds the file from CAQH ProView (DataSpring), verifies it, and sends it to the Credentialing and Performance Committee. Status for both medical and behavioral health requests is checked at 1-800-353-1232.
What to Watch With Aetna
Aetna Better Health is a separate door. In Virginia, a provider with no Medicaid MCO contract first enrolls with DMAS through the PRSS wizard, which can select several MCOs in one application; DMAS notifies Aetna Better Health, which then sends its contract package and accepts the credentialing data through CAQH. Aetna's application is built on the CAQH form but does not apply where a hospital, IPA or medical group credentials on Aetna's behalf.
Whatever the plan, the file moves only when your CAQH (DataSpring) profile, license record and application agree. See how long credentialing takes and our CAQH profile setup service.
Questions About Aetna
How do I apply to Aetna?
An online application picked by provider type: Medical, Behavioral health, Dental or Pharmacy. Hospitals and ancillaries use the Facility request form.
How long does Aetna credentialing take?
Aetna does not publish a turnaround on the provider pages we checked; most commercial plans land between 90 and 120 days from a complete file. Recredentialing: Self-reported information and board certification are refreshed at least every three years, or more often where state or federal rules require.
Does Aetna use CAQH (DataSpring)?
Yes. Aetna credentials and recredentials from CAQH ProView (DataSpring). A provider who is not registered gets a CAQH registration kit within 10 business days of the application request and must then authorize Aetna.
How do therapists join Aetna?
No outside vendor. Therapists and other behavioral health clinicians file Aetna's own Behavioral health application, and the same Credentialing and Performance Committee decides medical and behavioral health files.
What does PECS charge for an Aetna application?
$200 per application per provider, half at engagement and half at submission, including follow-up with Aetna until the effective date is set.
Want Aetna handled? Get your self-serve quote.
Get an instant answer, or send it to our team and we will reply by email within one business day.
Answers cover PECS services, prices and process. For legal, tax or clinical questions please consult a professional.
Sources
- Aetna: Joining the provider network FAQs
- Aetna: Medical credentialing
- Aetna Better Health of Virginia: Join our network
Facts checked against the sources above in October 2026; plan procedures change.