Credentialing with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) is one of the most important steps for any mental health provider starting or expanding a private practice in Illinois. Whether you’re an LCSW, LCPC, LMFT, or psychologist joining the BCBSIL provider network can significantly grow your caseload and allow you to accept one of the most commonly used insurance plans in the state.

This article explains exactly how to get credentialed with BCBSIL, what prerequisites you need, how long BCBS of Illinois credentialing takes, and the most common errors that delay therapist applications. If you're searching for:

• How do I get credentialed with BCBSIL?

• How to join Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois as a provider

• BCBSIL credentialing for therapists

• Illinois mental health provider paneling

this guide is built for you.

Why BCBS of Illinois Credentialing Matters for Therapists

BCBSIL is the largest commercial payer in Illinois, and most private-practice mental health providers eventually credential with them because:

• They have strong mental health reimbursement, including ~$150 for a 90837 psychotherapy session

• Many Illinois employers only offer BCBS plans

• Being in-network increases referrals and improves client acquisition

For most Illinois therapists, joining the BCBSIL network is one of the best long-term decisions for practice growth.

Prerequisites (Before You Apply)

Before you can credential with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, you must complete a few steps. If you're not sure how to handle these, our partner Prima Practice can help:

1. Business Entity Setup (PLLC / PC / LLC)

Most Illinois therapists operate as a PLLC or PC, depending on license type. This entity name should match:

• W-9

• NPI Type 2

• CAQH

• BCBSIL roster

2. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

You should acquire an EIN for your W-9 and for billing. BCBSIL will not process group and it is highly recommended for solo practice credentialing to keep your practice private.

3. NPI Numbers (NPPES)

You must have both:

• NPI Type 1: individual provider

• NPI Type 2: your practice entity (required for billing for LLCs)

4. Malpractice Insurance

Your policy must be active in CAQH with correct dates and coverage. It is recommended to have coverage that does not expire for more than 60 days.

5. CAQH Profile (Updated and Authorized)

Even if most providers already use CAQH, BCBSIL requires:

• Active documents (license, malpractice, education, CV)

• BCBSIL authorization enabled (many providers miss this box)

These items must be correct before you begin the BCBSIL application.

How to Apply

1. Go to the BCBSIL Provider Onboarding Form

Search for BCBSIL Provider Onboarding Form or navigate through the Join BCBSIL Network page.

This is where you submit:

• Provider information

• Group/clinic information (if applicable)

• Office address

• Telehealth status

• ADA accessibility

• Hours of operation

• W-9 + roster attachments

Pro tip: BCBSIL is extremely sensitive to formatting. Suite numbers, spacing, punctuation, and abbreviations should match across CAQH, your NPI registry, and your W-9. Otherwise delays occur.

2. Complete Practice, Telehealth, and Location Details

BCBSIL requires therapists to list:

• Primary practice address

• Appointment phone number

• Telehealth modalities (audio only, audio/video)

• Whether you accept new patients

• ADA accessibility details

• Languages offered

Inconsistencies across your application, W-9, and CAQH can lead to stalled reviews.

3. Upload Your Roster and W-9

The BCBSIL roster is one of the most error-prone steps because it contains dozens of fields. Download the roster excel sheet from the application and fill it out. Fields include:

• Provider demographics

• Tax ID

• NPI numbers

• Taxonomy

• Practice address

• Telehealth services

• Office hours

• Referral requirements

4. Submit the Application

After submission, BCBSIL will email a contract after ~1-2 weeks.

Important: Signing this contract does not mean you are credentialed, it simply begins the verification process.

5. Monitor Your BCBSIL Credentialing Status

You can check your application status through:

• BCBSIL Credentialing Status Checker

• Emailing il_standardcontracting@bcbsil.com

BCBSIL will generally notify you if something is wrong, but it is a best practice to follow up every week or so to ensure your application is processed in a timely fashion

BCBSIL Credentialing Timeline

Typical review: 30–60 days

More realistic timeline: 60–90 days

Delays commonly occur due to:

• CAQH mismatches

• Incorrect roster fields

• Malpractice policy date inconsistencies

• NPI or taxonomy errors

• Address formatting discrepancies

Most issues are minor but can extend credentialing to 3+ months.

BCBSIL Reimbursement for Mental Health Providers

While rates can vary slightly by contract and region:

• 90837 psychotherapy typically reimburses around $150

• Telehealth is reimbursed at parity

• 90834 and other CPT codes scale proportionally

This is one of the reasons credentialing with BCBSIL is considered highly valuable for Illinois therapists.

Can You Credential Yourself?

Yes! The BCBS of Illinois credentialing process is absolutely doable without help. If you’re detail-oriented and patient, you can complete the entire process alone.

If not, many clinicians simply prefer to have their credentialing handled for them, especially because some services (like ours at Bomi Health) charge only $50 to submit everything accurately and monitor for issues.

A small fee often saves 1-3 months of delay.