Published, not guessed
The Credentialing Wait Times Index.
Every major payer's stated credentialing window, in one table, from the payers' own manuals and policies. Each figure carries the month we last verified it. When a payer changes its numbers, this page changes with it.
Government
| Payer | Their stated window | The catch | Verified | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicare (PECOS) | Entry pathPECOS web application to your Medicare Administrative Contractor Typical timelineAbout a week best case, 45 to 60 days typical 60d stated | Paper 855 forms still exist and are consistently the slower road. | July 2026 | Guide |
| State Medicaid | Entry pathEach state's own enrollment system, separately | California runs PAVE, Texas runs PEMS, and no state honors another state's enrollment. Federal rule, 42 CFR 455.410. | July 2026 | Guide |
| TRICARE | Entry pathCertification application to your regional contractor Typical certification timelineAround 90 days 90d stated | East region is Humana Military, West region is TriWest, under the contracts effective January 2025. | July 2026 | Guide |
| VA Community Care Network | Entry pathThrough the region's administrator, not the VA | Optum runs regions 1 through 3, roughly the East and Midwest. TriWest runs regions 4 and 5, the West and Alaska. | July 2026 | Guide |
National commercial
| Payer | Their stated window | The catch | Verified | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare / Optum | Entry path, medicalOnboard Pro, UnitedHealthcare's self service onboarding tool Entry path, behavioral healthOptum Behavioral Health via Provider Express Credentialing timelineUp to 45 calendar days or more from a complete application Contract loadingUp to 60 days after signing 45d stated | Request, credential, contract, and portal setup in one tracked flow with projected completion dates. | July 2026 | Guide |
| Aetna (CVS Health) | Entry pathA participation request, evaluated before credentialing starts Decision timeline45 days for the network decision, 60 for facilities 45d stated | Aetna states it will tell you within 45 days whether you are eligible for participation. Facilities get 60. | July 2026 | Guide |
| Cigna / Evernorth | Entry path, medicalCigna's provider portal for healthcare professionals Stated timeline45 to 60 days 60d stated | Credentialing runs through the CignaforHCP flow. | July 2026 | Guide |
| Humana | Entry pathCAQH ProView, mandatory | Humana's own pages: first time credentialing requires a current, complete CAQH application with Humana granted access. Arkansas is the one exemption. | July 2026 | Guide |
Blues
| Payer | Their stated window | The catch | Verified | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCBS plans, Eastern US | Typical timeline30 business days to 120 days, by licensee 30d stated | From the plans' own statements: Highmark aims at 45 days, Excellus 60, Horizon up to 90, Independence 90 to 120, Florida Blue commits to a committee decision in 30 business days. | July 2026 | Guide |
| BCBS plans, Western and Central US | Typical timelineAbout 30 to 90 days where plans publish numbers 90d stated | Wellmark averages about 30 days, Michigan guides 35 for PPO and 60 for HMO, and statutes set the ceiling in Arizona at 60 days and Washington at 90. | July 2026 | Guide |
Medicaid MCOs
| Payer | Their stated window | The catch | Verified | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centene / Ambetter | Initial timelineCommittee cadence, no published day count | The manuals promise a decision at the next regularly scheduled credentialing committee, which meets at least monthly. | July 2026 | Guide |
| Molina Healthcare | Entry pathCAQH ProView into Molina's own credentialing process Initial timeline60 calendar days from a complete application 60d stated | The manuals are explicit: a complete application from CAQH or the state mandated form. Not Availity. | July 2026 | Guide |
| Wellcare | Entry pathAn inquiry form, by the plan's own description Initial timelineCommittee cadence, no published day count | It is a request for consideration, not a registration, and outreach follows only where the network needs your specialty. | July 2026 | Guide |
| CareSource | Entry pathThe health partner contract form, online | Submitted through CareSource's own site. | July 2026 | Guide |
Specialty networks
| Payer | Their stated window | The catch | Verified | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carelon Behavioral Health | Entry pathAvaility, in the Carelon Behavioral Health payer space Correction window7 calendar days, in writing 7d stated | All new enrollment requests, for individuals, groups, and clinicians joining groups. | July 2026 | Guide |
Methodology, stated plainly
Every figure on this page comes from the payer's own published material: provider manuals, credentialing policies, join pages, and stated service standards. Nothing here is a survey, an average of anecdotes, or a marketing estimate. Where a payer publishes a range, we show the range. Where the practical catch is bigger than the stated clock, contract loading, committee cycles, network decisions, the catch column says so and the per payer guide explains it.
Each row shows the month the figure was last verified against its source. Guides are reviewed on a schedule, and a figure that fails verification is removed rather than left to go stale. If you find a payer publishing a different number than we show, we want to know: tell us and we will re-verify it.
Citing this index is welcome, with a link to this page and the verification month of the figures used.
Questions
About these numbers
How long does credentialing take overall?
Most payers state 45 to 90 days from a complete application, and the honest end to end answer is usually two to four months once contracting and system loading are counted. The table on this page shows each payer's own stated figure and the catch that usually extends it.
Where do these numbers come from?
From each payer's own provider manuals, credentialing policies, and join pages. We do not publish estimates we cannot pin to a payer published source, and every row shows the month the figure was last verified against that source.
Why do real timelines run longer than the stated ones?
The stated clock usually starts at a complete application and ends at a credentialing decision. Real calendars include the time to assemble a clean file, the payer's intake queue before the clock starts, committee schedules, and contract loading after approval. The per payer guides break down where each one actually loses time.
Your credentialing, on these clocks.
Send your payers and your roster, and every application runs against the payer's own published window, chased when it slips.