What to expect, 1 of 7Read this the day you sign, before you open the intake.
You signed. Here is the first week.
The welcome email, what the intake asks for and why, how we confirm we have everything, and what you do not need to do yet.
Within about a business day of your signature, George emails you a welcome note with the intake link. If you signed up through Bomi EHR, the setup checklist inside the EHR is the intake; the welcome email points you there instead.
The intake is the one thing standing between your signature and your applications. Nothing is submitted to a payer until it is complete. Most practices finish it in one sitting; if a document is missing, send the rest and tell us what is coming.
What the intake asks for, and why
Every item is something a payer, Medicare, or your bank will ask us for. Two names have to match exactly: yours as it appears on your license, NPI, and CAQH, and your practice’s as it appears on the EIN letter, W-9, and bank account. A mismatch is the most common thing that stalls an application. Mailing and service addresses can differ; give us both.
EIN letter (IRS CP-575 or SS-4 reply)
Why: Payers contract with your practice by tax ID. The letter proves the name that goes with it.
Tip: If you lost it, call the IRS for a 147C letter. A screenshot of the number is not enough.
Type 1 NPI (you) and Type 2 NPI (your practice)
Why: Your Type 1 identifies you as the clinician. A practice entity (LLC, PLLC, PC) also needs a Type 2 to bill and get paid under its own name. Sole proprietors can bill under the Type 1 alone.
Tip: Forming an entity and no Type 2 yet? Apply at NPPES; it is usually same-week. We can start Medicaid in parallel.
CAQH username and password
Why: Most commercial payers pull your application from CAQH. We complete it, attest it every quarter, and keep it current. It is stored encrypted and used only for credentialing; change it any time.
Tip: In a group, each clinician gets their own secure link to enter theirs. The owner is copied. No CAQH profile yet? Tell us and we help you create one first.
License and malpractice face sheet
Why: Every packet asks for both. Malpractice needs the policy number, limits, and dates.
Tip: Expiring soon? Start the renewal now. A policy that lapses while a payer is reviewing gets the application sent back.
W-9
Why: Payers and Medicare need it to pay the practice.
Tip: The tax ID must match the EIN letter. Single-member LLC? Line 1 is usually your own name and line 2 the practice; we check it before anything goes out.
Voided check or bank letter (business account)
Why: Direct deposit with each payer. Medicare requires it, and the account name must match your EIN letter exactly.
Tip: A photo is fine. Not needed on day one unless you want Medicare; we can ask for it when a payer needs it.
The payers you want
Why: One application per payer per clinician. Your first four are included; the rest are $50 each.
Tip: Pick the plans your clients actually carry. Medicaid takes the longest, so list it first if you want it. The 4% billing fee does not start until billing does.
Contracts you already hold
Why: We confirm the effective date and payer ID and do not re-apply where you are already in.
Tip: Being on Headway or Alma is their contract, not yours; tell us so we apply under your practice.
Your EHR and a billing start date
Why: Credentialing starts right away. Billing starts on the date you pick, at least a week after you add us to your EHR.
Tip: Not ready to bill? Put a date months out. Nothing is charged until billing starts, apart from any applications beyond your first four.
Did we get everything?
This is the question George hears most in the first week. Here is how to tell.
- 1
You get one reply: complete, or the list of what is missing
We review completed intakes within about a business day and reply either way. If anything is missing or a login fails (CAQH is the usual one), the reply names that specific item. Nothing is submitted until you have heard back.
- 2
The portal can lag the email
Sending us a document and seeing a row for it in the portal or the EHR Credentials page are two different steps. We may still be loading what you sent. A missing row does not mean we lost it or that you should send it again.
- 3
Your first Monday email is the real status
Once the intake is complete, you get a Monday email every week. The Credentialing updates section lists each payer and where it stands. When the email and the portal disagree, the email is the one we checked by hand; reply to it and ask.
You do not need to do this yet
- Add Bomi to your EHR. Do that about a week before your billing start date, not at signing. New practices usually wait until the first payer approves.
- Send a voided check, unless you want Medicare or already have a payer paying you by paper check.
- Cancel anything. If you are on a platform or with another biller, keep going while applications are pending.
- Switch EHRs. If you use SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Sessions Health, or TheraNest, we work inside it.
What speeds this up
From a complete intake, applications go out within about a week (a few days longer for a regional payer we have not filed with before). After that, the quickest thing you can do is answer the occasional request for a document or a signature the day it comes; each one is something a payer is waiting on.