Joining insurance panels

[CPG80]

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Hi friends: This topic/question may interest our forum members that are licensed psychologists and in private practice. I'm a fairly newly (3 mos) licensed psychologist in Georgia. I am interested in starting a private practice and just learned that most of the insurance companies I called (BCBS & Aetna to name a few) indicated that a psychologist must be licensed for at least two years before being able to join a panel. Have others had experiences like this or similar to this? I was wondering whether physicians have the same or a similar wait?

Best to all!

 

[Neuro-Dr]

I wouldn't say that this is common; but it is not unique either. Several panels request 2-3 years beyond licensure. Most, do not. In medicine, several panels require board certification, so in a sense, that is pretty similar. You should still find a number of panels that are license only requirements.

 

[CPG80]

Thank you for the clear response.

 

[NeuroPhD]

Hi friends: This topic/question may interest our forum members that are licensed psychologists and in private practice. I'm a fairly newly (3 mos) licensed psychologist in Georgia. I am interested in starting a private practice and just learned that most of the insurance companies I called (BCBS & Aetna to name a few) indicated that a psychologist must be licensed for at least two years before being able to join a panel. Have others had experiences like this or similar to this? I was wondering whether physicians have the same or a similar wait?

Best to all!

Is Georgia one of the states that does not require a postdoc year for licensing? If so, it would be equivalent to the one year post-license requirement I've come across. I really don't know much about the issue. I'm doing my best to avoid joining any panels and so far have been able to mostly pretend they don't exist.

 

[pingouin]

United Behavioral Health requires masters-level therapists to have at least 5 years experience post-licensure (not post-degree) before they will consider an application to come on panel. I don't know whether they have a similar stipulation for doctoral-level practitioners.

It has always been my understanding that due to the shortage of psychiatrists, there is usually not a wait time, just a requirement of having an active and unrestricted license in that state.

 

[CPG80]

Is Georgia one of the states that does not require a postdoc year for licensing? If so, it would be equivalent to the one year post-license requirement I've come across. I really don't know much about the issue. I'm doing my best to avoid joining any panels and so far have been able to mostly pretend they don't exist.

Georgia requires 1500 hours of post-doctoral 'supervised work experience'. I'll have to look into it further and see if it counts as a year for some panels. BCBS explicitly told me that it's two years post licensure.

I'm trying to do my best avoiding panels also. Most psychologists I speak with though generally find it very difficult to avoid panels and recommended that I could start that way and eventually phase it out. Many of my colleagues that don't use panels have solid referral sources which are usually primary care physicians. I suppose the key is to develop reliable referral sources. Developing specialties is probably another angle. What do you think has worked well for you?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I've heard some rumblings about BCBS panels being particularly picky, whether it is 5 year minimum or accepting people at all.