Registrations

Video Transcription

In this lesson, we will be discussing necessary and voluntary registrations. I know. Sounds like a snooze fest, doesn't it? Hang in there.

Counselors will need to register at several different government and private websites in order to secure identification numbers and credentialing status. No ID, no dinero if working with insurance. So it is recommended that anyone needing additional help seek out a mentor or pay a credentialer to help with the process. And you can do a Google search for credentialers if you're interested in paying for the service. And this can run anywhere from $300 to $1,000 depending on how much their credentialer will do.

It was totally worth it for me. I hired a colleague's office manager who was experienced with this stuff. I paid her per application. Totally worth it.

Now, although a credentialer will put your application forward to an insurance company, this will not guarantee that an insurance company will accept you for a panel. You have the ability to complete the process on your own, but it will be labor intensive, and you may want to hire an accountant or a lawyer to help with the process.

So now that we've gotten some generalities out of the way, here are the specifics that we will be covering in this lesson. First, Tax Identification Numbers, or TIN, National Provider Identifier, or NPI, both type 1 and type 2, the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare, or CAQH Proview.

One of the first ID numbers a counselor needs is a tax ID. A tax ID is used by the IRS as well as by insurance companies and EAPs to identify an individual and a business for tax income purposes. Don't mess with the IRS. You've heard that saying before, right? Well, here we're trying to set that up for you.

A social security number is a form of tax ID, but it is not advised to use a social security number because you do not want this in the public domain. It is necessary to have a TIN if you are going to have a business banking account or if you want to open a banking line of credit. Registering for a TIN, or again, Tax Identification Number, it's free. You can Google the IRS website for the application form for TIN, or Tax Identification Number.

An NPI number is a number that classifies an individual, type 1, or a business, type 2. An NPI number is used to identify a person or business as well as to identify what that person or business does within the health care industry. Now, these numbers are assigned by the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, or the NPPES-- oh yes, another acronym. There are more to come to you. So NPPES-- is that what I said? No. Let's go back. It's the NPPES. Hang in there. More acronyms to come.

So the insurance industry relies heavily on NPI numbers for identification, and it is not possible to see insurance-based clients without an NPI number. An individual has only one unique type 1 NPI, and a health care provider organization has only one unique type 2 NPI. It is possible, however, for a counselor to have two NPI numbers-- their own individual number and to have a number for their business. That's what I've got.

Before I incorporated my business, it was best for me to have a number in my name. After incorporation, I got a new number for the business, and that's what I use today. Registering for an NPI is free, and individual practitioners will want to register under the Individual Provider section on the NPI website. And health care provider organizations will register under the Health Care Provider Organization section on that same NPI website. Google NPPES for registering for a type 1 and type 2 NPI number.

CAQH stands for Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare-- another acronym. See, I told you there would be more. Well, the CAQH Proview is the online system utilized for credentialing. It is a data warehouse. CAQH Proview provides a standardized credentialing application that is used by insurance companies and EAPs within the United States. Completing the CAQH Proview application is one important way to help a practitioner become credentialed with insurance companies buy eliminating that extensive application paperwork necessary by most insurance companies.

Most US-based insurance companies subscribe to the CAQH system anyhow. CAQH applications are for individuals wanting to be credentialed to provide counseling and are not applications for actual businesses. So Google CAQH Proview to begin the application process.

OK. Here's what we covered in this lesson-- first, Tax Identification Number, TIN, National Provider Identifier, NPI, type 1 and type 2, CAQH Proview.

Video Transcription

[MUSIC PLAYING] In this lesson, we'll be discussing necessary and voluntary registrations. I know. It sounds like a snooze fest, doesn't it? Hang in there.

Counselors will need to register at several different government and private websites in order to secure identification numbers and credentialing status. No ID, no dinero if working with insurance.

OK. So it is recommended that anyone needing additional help seek out a mentor or pay a credentialer to help with the process. Now, you can do a Google search for credentialers if you're interested in paying for the service.

This can run anywhere from $300 to $1,000 depending on how much the credentialer will do. It was totally worth it for me. I hired a colleague's office manager who was experienced with this stuff. I paid her per application-- totally worth it.

All right. Now, although a credentialer will put your application forward to an insurance company, this will not guarantee that an insurance company will accept you for a panel. You have the ability to complete the process on your own. But it will be labor intensive. And you may want to hire an accountant or a lawyer to help with the process.

So now that we've gotten some generalities out of the way, here are the specifics that we will be covering in this lesson-- first, Tax Identification Numbers, or TIN, National Provider Identifier, or NPI, both type one and type two, the Council for Affordable Quality Health Care, or CAQH ProView.

One of the first ID numbers a counselor needs is a tax ID. A tax ID is used by the IRS, as well as by insurance companies and EAPs, to identify an individual and a business for tax income purposes. Don't mess with the IRS. You've heard that saying before, right? Well, here, we're trying to set that up for you.

All right. A social security number is a form of tax ID. But it is not advised to use a social security number because you do not want this in the public domain.

It is necessary to have a TIN if you are going to have a business banking account or if you want to open a banking line of credit. Registering for a TIN, or, again, Tax Identification Number-- it's free. You can google the IRS website for the application form for TIN, or Tax Identification Number.

An NPI number is a number that classifies an individual, type one, or a business, type two. An NPI number is used to identify a person or business, as well as to identify what that person or business does within the health care industry.

Now, these numbers are assigned by the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, or the NPPES. Oh, yes-- another acronym. There are more to come, too. So NPPES-- is that what I said? No. Let's go back. It's the NPPES. All right. Hang in there-- More acronyms to come.

So the insurance industry relies heavily on NPI numbers for identification. And it is not possible to see insurance-based clients without an NPI number. An individual has only one unique type one NPI. And a health care provider organization has only one unique type 2 NPI.

It is possible, however, for a councilor to have two NPI numbers, their own individual number and to have a number for their business. That's what I've got. Before I incorporated my business, it was best for me to have a number in my name. After incorporation, I got a new number for the business. And that's what I use today.

Registering for an NPI is free. And individual practitioners will want to register under the individual provider section on the NPI website. And health care provider organizations will register under the health care provider organizations section on that same NPI website. Google "NPPES" for registering for a type one and type one NPI number.

CAQH stands for Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare-- another acronym. See, I told you there would be more. Well, the CAQH ProView is the online system utilized for credentialing. It is a data warehouse.

CAQH ProView provides a standardized credentialing application that is used by insurance companies and EAPs within the United States. Completing the CAQH ProView application is one important way to help a practitioner become credentialed with insurance companies by eliminating that extensive application paperwork necessary by most insurance companies.

Most US-based insurance companies subscribe to the CAQH system anyhow. CAQH applications are for individuals wanting to be credentialed to provide counseling and are not applications for actual businesses. So Google "CAQH ProView" to begin the application process.

OK. Here's what we covered in this lesson-- first, Tax Identification Number, TIN, National Provider Identifier, NPI, type one and type two, CAQH ProView.

[MUSIC PLAYING]