Join the Network – Credentialing webpage
Join the network
Thank you for your interest in joining the Evernorth® Behavioral Health (Evernorth) provider network. Your participation with us helps fulfill our mission to improve the health, well-being, and sense of security for the people we serve. Here you will find instructions on how to apply to join the Evernorth provider network as an individual provider, clinic, and/or facility. Evernorth Behavioral Health network providers must treat all covered patients equally and must agree to participate at all service locations (i.e., participation is not limited to specific Tax ID Numbers).
Verify network participation
Before proceeding with the application process, please confirm that you are not already an Evernorth–contracted provider by reviewing your listing in the provider directory. If you are listed in the directory, please do not submit a Provider Information Form (application).
If you need to update your information, please visit the Health Care Provider Directory Changes page for guidance on how to quickly update your information.
Individual providers
Minimum requirements for individual providers
Before starting the individual provider application process, please ensure you meet the following credentialing requirements:
- A license to practice independently (without supervision) in the state in which you are providing services;
- Professional liability insurance with minimum limits of:
- $1 million/$3 million for Physicians and Psychiatric Nurses with prescriptive authority, or
- $1 million/$1 million for all other providers; exceptions include:
- Texas: the minimum recommended amount of professional liability coverage for providers in Texas is $200,000 per occurrence and $500,000 aggregate;
- Florida: the minimum recommended amount of professional liability coverage for providers in Florida is $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate;
- Providers in states which regulate a patient compensation fund for insurance coverage, or which regulate the amount of insurance a provider must carry, should meet at least the state's requirement if they do not meet Evernorth Behavioral Health's minimum requirements.
- Providers with federal tort coverage (Federal Tort Coverage Act) do not have to meet Evernorth Behavioral Health's minimum insurance requirements. For those providers, a copy of the federal tort letter or an attestation from the providers stating that he or she has federal tort coverage must be included in the credentialing file.
- You have a National Provider Identifier.
- You meet the following Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH®) requirements:
- All health care providers working in an outpatient private practice setting who intend to bill insurance as an in-network provider should have a profile on the CAQH Provider Data Portal. Evernorth requires a CAQH identification number to be included on the Evernorth Behavioral Provider Information Form.
- The following will need to be completed or uploaded to the CAQH Provider Data Portal:
- Attest that all your information is correct every 120 days (180 for Illinois providers).
- Grant Evernorth access to your CAQH account to ensure we can view your profile.
- Upload a recent W-9 for the Taxpayer Identification Number you using on your application.
- Upload the current state license for all locations in which you will be providing services. (Expiration date must be at least 60 days away.)
- Upload a current DEA (for prescribing providers only) for all locations in which you will be providing services. (Expiration date must be at least 60 days away.)
- List the highest level of education.
- Professional liability insurance (expiration date must be at least 60 days away).
- Must include five years of consecutive work history with no gaps of more than six months without explanation. Education can substitute for work history.
To join our network as an individual provider, including new providers affiliated with contracted clinics and facilities, please complete the Evernorth Behavioral Health Provider Information Form.
- After your application submission, a recruiter will be assigned to review your application. Within 21 business days (or as otherwise required by law) from your application submission, your recruiter will outreach you with next steps regarding credentialing and contracting.
- The email will be sent to the email address that you list in the "Contracting/Credentialing" field under the Professional Contact Information section.
The entire process to join the Evernorth Behavioral Health network can take up to 90 days to complete (or as otherwise required by law). If you work with a third-party agency/clearinghouse to assist with provider credentialing or contracting, please advise them of the 90-day application timeframe.
If you have any questions during the individual practitioner application process, please email your recruiter or BehavioralContracting@Evernorth.com and include your NPI or TIN on all correspondence.
Individual practitioners providing behavioral services at Cigna-participating medical practices:
- If you are providing behavioral services at a Cigna-participating medical practice and are not accepting direct referrals from the community, call 1.800.88.Cigna (1.800.882.4462) to apply to the practice’s medical contract.
- If you are providing behavioral health services at a Cigna-participating medical practice and are accepting direct referrals from the community, AND/OR you provide behavioral health services outside of the medical practice (e.g. in your own private practice), please apply to join the Evernorth Behavioral Health Network by submitting the Evernorth Behavioral Health Provider Information Form.
Important notice for Texas only:
Cigna will accept applications for participation in their networks of physicians and other providers from December 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025. Applicants must meet all credentialing and other participatory criteria. All applications will be reviewed and responses will be made within 90 days of receipt.
If you practice in Maryland, Ohio or Washington:
If you practice in Maryland, Ohio or Washington, the Evernorth Behavioral Health Provider Information Form is not required. Email us at BehavioralHCPEnrollment@Evernorth.com with your request to join the Evernorth network and include the information listed below for identification purposes. You will receive a response within 15 business days (or as otherwise required by law).
- First name, Middle initial (if applicable), Last name
- CAQH ID# (accepted, but not required for providers in Washington)
- Tax Identification Number (TIN)
- National Provider Identifier (NPI)
- License type (e.g., LCSW, LPC, LMFT, MD, LP, etc.)
- Primary mailing address
- Service location(s)- If telehealth only, specify and provide zip code
- Service location phone number (for contracting/credentialing purposes)
- Email address(es) for all communication
- Attach current W-9 for the TIN you are using on your application.
If you practice in Minnesota, North Dakota or western Wisconsin:
In these markets, Evernorth's Behavioral Health network represents an alliance between Evernorth and HealthPartners where HealthPartners contracts for managed care, and Evernorth contracts for EAP services.
- Health Partners - For contract consideration, complete the HealthPartners Behavioral Health Contract Application available at the HealthPartners Provider Portal.
- Evernorth EAP – For contract consideration, complete the Evernorth Provider Information Form.
Clinics
Clinics are groups of four or more independently licensed behavioral health providers who share the same TIN, location, and administrative staff.
To consider your clinic for network participation, please complete the Screening Application for Behavioral Health Clinics or Screening Application for Autism Services and send it, along with required attachments, to the Evernorth Behavioral Contracting Unit at BehavioralOutpatientClinic@Evernorth.com.- Submit the following documentation with this application:
- Service location form(s)
- A Physical Service Location Form for each service location and clinician
- If your practice has a home-visit-only service model, please complete a Home-Visit-Only Service Location Form for each service location and clinician
- If your practice has a telehealth-only service model, please complete a Telehealth-Only Service Location Form for each service location and clinician
- Completed W-9 forms
- Professional and General Liability Insurance Requirements for Evernorth Behavioral Health Clinics - To ensure the highest standards of care, Evernorth Behavioral Health clinics must adhere to the following professional liability insurance requirements:
- Physicians and Psychiatric Nurses with Prescriptive Authority:
- Minimum coverage of $1 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate.
- All Other Providers:
- Minimum coverage of $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate.
- State-Specific Requirements:
- Texas: Minimum recommended coverage: $200,000 per occurrence and $500,000 aggregate.
- Florida: Minimum recommended coverage: $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate.
- Additional Guidelines:
- Providers in states with regulated patient compensation funds or specific insurance coverage requirements must meet at least the state's minimum requirements if they do not meet Evernorth Behavioral Health's standards.
- Physicians and Psychiatric Nurses with Prescriptive Authority:
- Providers with federal tort coverage (Federal Tort Coverage Act) are exempt from Evernorth Behavioral Health's minimum insurance requirements. These providers must include a copy of the federal tort letter or an attestation of coverage in their credentialing
- REQUIRED: Policy face sheet or certificate of insurance that identifies the clinic named in the application and indicates liability limits and expiration date (may not be binder policies).
What to expect after you apply
Evernorth Behavioral Health will respond by email within 60 calendar days after reviewing your application. Our response will be sent to the email address that you list in the "Primary Clinic Contracting Contact."
The entire process to join the Evernorth Behavioral Health network can take up to 90 days to complete (or as otherwise required by law). If you work with a third-party agency/clearinghouse to assist with provider credentialing or contracting, please advise them of the 90-day application timeframe.
During the application process, we will communicate with you to:
- Confirm your application was received.
- Request any missing documentation or application information. If we do not receive missing information, we’ll send you an email notification that we closed your application.
- Keep you updated on where your application is in our credentialing verification process.
- Confirm you have been approved and credentialed as a network-participating provider with your effective date, or notify you that you have not been approved.
If you have any questions during the clinic application process, please email your recruiter or BehavioralOutpatientClinic@Evernorth.com and include your NPI or TIN on all correspondence.
Facilities
Facilities are hospitals, residential type settings and/or programs that provide partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient services for the treatment of mental health or substance use.
- To consider your facility for network participation, please complete the Evernorth Behavioral Health Facility Information Form
- After your application submission, your organization will receive an autoreply email with next steps and timeframes.
The entire process to join the Evernorth Behavioral Health network can take up to 90 days to complete (or as otherwise required by law). During this time, you’ll also receive emails from us to:
- Confirm your application was received.
- Request any missing documentation or application information. If we do not receive missing information, we’ll send you an email notification that we closed your application.
- Keep you updated on where your application is in our credentialing verification process.
- Confirm you have been approved and credentialed as a network-participating provider with your effective date, or notify you that you have not been approved.
To check on the status of your Facility Information Form, please email BehavioralFacilityRecruitment@Evernorth.com.
- Please note, as part of our minimum credentialing requirements, facilities must have the following:
-
A valid state license/certificate/permit for all services/programs that are provided, if applicable
-
Professional and General Liability insurance with minimum limits of:
- Hospital/Residential Setting: 1 million per occurrence and 3 million aggregate
- Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs: 1 million per occurrence and 1 million aggregate
-
Accreditation by one of the follow organizations*:
- The Joint Commission
- Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC)
- Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
- American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP)
- Council on Accreditation (COA)
- DNV GL NIAHO®
* If applicable, accreditation by other organizations may be acceptable.