How does a Physician Assistant become credentialled provider with a health insurance company?
Your supervising physician must request that the insurance company credential you (the physician assistant) as a provider for that health plan. Many plans will also require you to sign a contract with them prior to you being allowed to see their patients. Some like Aetna will not credential you, despite state law, which requires that they do. This is actually the only way to find out how to bill for physician services performed by a physician assistant and know what the insurance company will pay. Remember, it is not PA Services but rather physician services performed by a physician assistant — technical but it is the wording that is needed. No plan pays for physician assistant services but most pay for physician services performed by a physician assistant.
