Credentialing by specialty
Insurance credentialing for physician assistants
Payer enrollment for physician assistants follows the same sequence as every other provider type, CAQH first, then Medicare and Medicaid, then the commercial plans, but the details that stall applications are specific to the specialty, starting with the taxonomy code (363A00000X) that every payer cross-checks against NPPES. Provider Enrollment Credentialing Services enrolls physician assistants in every state at flat per-service prices and follows up on each application until approval.
Medicare for physician assistants
PAs enroll in Medicare with an 855I and, since 2022, can bill Medicare directly and receive payment in their own name rather than only through an employer. Reassignment to a group still uses the 855R.
Commercial and Medicaid networks
Commercial plans credential PAs individually in most states and require a supervising or collaborating physician on file where state law requires one.
What to watch
State supervision or collaboration rules change often; the application must match the current statute in your state.
The file we build for physician assistants
- NPPES record checked and corrected first: legal name, taxonomy, practice address. Mismatches here are the most common silent cause of a returned application.
- CAQH profile built or repaired, every section complete, documents uploaded, attested, with each target plan authorized to view it.
- Medicare and Medicaid applications where they apply, filed and tracked to approval with every development letter answered inside its 30-day window.
- Commercial applications submitted the same week so the 90 to 120 day clocks overlap, with closed-panel responses appealed or re-requested on a schedule.
- Effective dates, contract terms and fee schedules recorded, and the maintenance calendar started: CAQH re-attestation every 120 days, license and malpractice expirations, Medicare revalidation.
Pricing for physician assistants
CAQH $500, Medicare $500, Medicaid $500 per state, each commercial application $200, group onboarding $500 one-time, maintenance $100 per provider per quarter. Every service and price, or start the intake; about 15 minutes, with a reference number to check status any time.
Questions PAs ask
How long does credentialing take for physician assistants?
Medicare, where it applies, runs 30 to 60 days and allows retroactive billing. Medicaid runs 60 to 120 days depending on the state. Commercial plans run 90 to 120 days each, in parallel, with the effective date set at contract countersignature. A complete file on day one is the only thing that shortens any of them.
Do PAs need CAQH?
Yes for every commercial plan and most Medicaid managed-care plans. The CAQH ProView profile is where plans pull licenses, education, work history and malpractice from, so it is built and attested before the first application goes in.
What does PECS charge for physician assistants?
CAQH build $500, Medicare enrollment $500, Medicaid enrollment $500 per state, each commercial application $200, group onboarding $500 one-time, maintenance $100 per provider per quarter. Enrollment services bill half at engagement and half at approval. No percentage of collections.
Can PECS work with physician assistants outside New Jersey?
Yes. Every enrollment on this page is filed through national portals (PECOS, CAQH, Availity) or state portals that are online, so we handle physician assistants in all 50 states from Jersey City.
Ready to get in-network? Start the intake or read the guides.
Answers cover PECS services, prices and process. For legal, tax or clinical questions please consult a professional.
By the PECS credentialing team, updated September 2026.