Aetna- how to credential

In recent years, Aetna has undergone significant changes in its credentialing process.
This article aims to outline the current procedure.

Medical and Mental Health providers can now conveniently submit their applications
online through the Aetna website. Upon submission, Aetna generates a unique Request
ID#, which is also sent to the provider via a confirmation email. Following the application
submission, Aetna advises a waiting period of 60-90 days for the Network contracting
department to send out a DocuSign contract.

If the contract is not received within this timeframe, providers are required to contact Aetna to initiate an Escalation process. Once the contract is accepted and signed by the provider, Aetna proceeds to forward the application to the credentialing department, where an additional processing period of 60-90 business days is expected.

Upon completing this phase, Aetna sends a Welcome Letter and the duly executed contract to the provider, indicating their PIN #and contract effective date. However, it's important to note that despite receiving the welcome letter and effective date, the credentialing department still needs to forward the approval to the Network Management department for entry into their system, which typically takes another 30 business days.

Providers should be aware that they will not receive further notification from Aetna once
the approval is loaded into the system. Therefore, it's advised to contact Aetna directly
to confirm this. Once confirmed, providers can commence billing claims to Aetna from
the effective date specified in the contract's welcome letter.