Cigna behavioral health credentialing through Evernorth: therapists, groups and IOPs

Part of our credentialing guide for Texas practices and programs. Other plans: UnitedHealthcare / Optum · Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas · Aetna.

Cigna and Evernorth at a glance

• Who credentials behavioral health: Evernorth Behavioral Health, part of The Cigna Group (Cigna's older provider pages call it Cigna Behavioral Health). Cigna's own behavioral health "join the network" page sends you to Evernorth.
• Where to apply: Evernorth's Join the network page, with a separate route for individual clinicians, clinics and facilities.
• Intake status: New individual and clinic applications paused from June 1, 2026, with a Provider Interest Form to be told when they reopen. Facilities (hospitals, residential, PHP and IOP) can still apply.
• Clinicians: Evernorth relies on CAQH and requires your CAQH ID on its Behavioral Provider Information Form, plus an NPI, five years of work history and current professional liability coverage.
• IOP / PHP programs: The Facility Information Form, a state license for every service, behavioral health accreditation and/or Medicare certification, and liability coverage of at least $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate for a PHP/IOP-only facility.
• Timeline: Up to 90 days for the whole process, Evernorth says, or as otherwise required by law. Provisional credentialing can let you see Cigna members in network sooner.
• Recredentialing: Every three years; re-attest CAQH every 120 days so it happens without outreach.

The 2026 application pause

This is the first thing to know about Evernorth in 2026. Its Join the network page announced that, as of June 1, 2026, Evernorth paused accepting applications from new individual and clinic providers. What it said:

• Applications started before June 1, 2026 aren't affected and are processed as usual.
• Everyone else in those two groups was asked to complete the Evernorth Behavioral Health Provider Interest Form, to be contacted when the application process reopens, or to check the page again after September 1, 2026.
• Facility providers may continue to apply. Evernorth counts hospitals, residential settings and programs providing partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient services as facilities.

September 1 has passed, and we couldn't confirm from Evernorth's public pages on October 24, 2026 whether individual and clinic intake has fully reopened. One sign of movement: Evernorth has posted a revised Evernorth Clinic Information Form dated September 2026. Check the live page before you file, and if it still shows the pause, send the interest form now so you're on the list.

For a Texas program this matters less than it sounds. A licensed IOP or PHP applies as a facility, which the pause doesn't cover. Ask Evernorth in writing what it requires for the clinicians who work under your facility agreement, especially any who bill professional services under their own NPI.

Which Cigna members this covers in Texas

Cigna's Texas book has changed more than most in the last two years, so check what a Cigna contract will actually bring you:

• Employer plans are the core. Some Cigna employer plans are fully insured and others are self-funded plans that Cigna administers; a card with "TDI" on it is a fully insured Texas plan under Texas insurance law, and one without it is usually self-funded under ERISA. Evernorth manages the behavioral health benefit on Cigna's plans, but an employer can carve behavioral health out to another company, so check every card and eligibility response (our sister product's guide to behavioral health carve-outs shows how).
• Individual and family (marketplace) plans end after 2026. Cigna announced in April 2026 that it will leave the ACA individual market in 11 states, including Texas, both on and off the exchange, for 2027 (KFF's tracker of 2027 marketplace exits). Don't count those members in a 2027 forecast.
• Medicare Advantage isn't Cigna anymore. Health Care Service Corporation, the parent of BCBSTX, completed its purchase of Cigna's Medicare businesses on March 19, 2025. Older Cigna Medicare Advantage members now belong to HCSC's plans, which credential separately.

Individual clinicians, step by step

Evernorth describes individual providers as independently licensed behavioral health practitioners who contract directly with Evernorth. In Texas that means LPCs, LMFTs, LCSWs, psychologists, psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners; associates under supervision (LPC Associates, LMSWs) don't qualify for their own contract. When intake is open:

1. Finish and attest CAQH first. Evernorth says it relies on CAQH to verify your information throughout contracting, and its Behavioral Provider Information Form asks for your CAQH ID. CAQH became DataSpring in June 2026 (Fierce Healthcare); the profile, login and 120-day attestation didn't change. Our CAQH ProView guide walks through every section, and authorize Cigna/Evernorth to view it.
2. Have an NPI that matches CAQH and your W-9. If you'll bill under a practice's Tax ID, the practice needs its own Type 2 NPI (see NPI Type 1 vs Type 2).
3. Show five years of work history. Evernorth asks for five consecutive years, with an explanation for any gap longer than six months. Graduate school and a career change are fine; an unexplained gap holds the file.
4. Carry current malpractice coverage. Evernorth wants professional liability coverage whose expiration date is at least 60 days out when it reviews you. Where a state sets a required amount, it asks that you meet at least the state's requirement if you don't meet Evernorth's own minimum; providers covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act are exempt from the minimum and send the FTCA letter or an attestation instead. Evernorth's public page didn't state a dollar minimum for individual clinicians when we checked, so ask before you buy or renew a policy.
5. Send the Behavioral Provider Information Form from the Join the network page, and keep the confirmation.
6. Watch the status in the Evernorth provider portal. Evernorth's provisional credentialing FAQ says you can check your application status there at any time.
7. Sign the contract after reading it: rates for your codes, timely filing, termination terms and the effective date. Don't see Cigna members as in network until that date is confirmed in writing, or provisional status applies (see below).

Sell your fit when you apply. Like every plan, Evernorth decides partly on network need: say what you add, such as Spanish-language sessions, adolescents, substance use and co-occurring care, evening and telehealth hours, and the Texas ZIP codes you serve.

Group practices and clinics

Evernorth treats a behavioral health clinic, a group billing under one Tax ID, as its own applicant type, and clinics are in the 2026 pause along with individuals. What its clinic paperwork has asked for:

• The clinic form. Evernorth's earlier Screening Application for Behavioral Health Clinics (2023) has been followed by the September 2026 Clinic Information Form. Use whichever the live page links.
• A location form for every site and clinician. The screening application asked for a Physical Service Location Form per service location and clinician, with separate forms for home-visit-only and telehealth-only models.
• A W-9 and proof of malpractice coverage: a policy face sheet or certificate of insurance showing limits and the expiration date. Binders weren't accepted.
• Nothing extra. The form said not to send résumés or licenses unless Evernorth asks, and that a clinic can list only one mailing address.
• A screening answer, not a contract. Evernorth said it would respond within 30 days of a complete form, and that the form is for screening only, not an offer to join.

Opening a group? Our guide to starting a group practice in Texas covers the entity and Tax ID decisions that come first, and the Group Practice Launch credentials every clinician and links them to the group's contracts.

IOP and PHP programs (facilities)

A licensed program joins Evernorth as a facility, and that route stayed open during the 2026 pause. Evernorth's Facility Information Form and Join the network page set the minimums for each service location:

Requirement	What Evernorth asks for	What it means for a Texas program
License	A valid state license, certificate or permit for every service and program, current, active and in good standing. No provisional, conditional or temporary approvals. The form asks you to name any service that isn't licensed and why.	Your HHSC license must list every level of care you're asking Evernorth to contract (see the Texas chemical dependency treatment facility license and mental health IOP licensing guides).
Accreditation or Medicare	Behavioral health accreditation and/or Medicare certification. The form lists The Joint Commission, AAHC, CARF, AOA, CHAP, COA and DNV, and asks about your state licensing survey.	A new, unaccredited Texas IOP generally won't meet this yet. Plan accreditation into your opening timeline (see accreditation for new programs).
Liability insurance	PHP/IOP-only facilities: $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate. Hospital and residential: $1 million and $3 million.	Send a certificate showing both professional and general liability limits and expiration dates.
Where it goes	The completed form and documents by email to [email protected]. Sending it doesn't guarantee contracting consideration or participation.	Keep the sent email and log every follow-up date.

Have the rest of the facility packet ready in one folder: the organization's Type 2 NPI, a W-9, the accreditation letter and latest survey report, the most recent HHSC inspection, the medical director's license, and your program description and schedule by level of care. Evernorth's older guidance said it would answer a facility request by email within 30 days; when it does, the conversation turns to the contract: per diem rates by level of care and code (for example H0015 or S9480 for IOP, H0035 or S0201 for PHP), the claim form, authorization rules and the effective date. Our guide to insurance contracts for treatment centers covers what to check before you sign.

Not in network yet and a Cigna member needs your program now? Ask for a single case agreement for that client, with the rate agreed in writing before admission.

Provisional credentialing

Evernorth's provisional credentialing FAQ (August 2026) describes a temporary approval that may let you be treated as an in-network provider before full contracting and credentialing are done:

• Once provisional status is active, you may see Evernorth/Cigna Healthcare customers and have claims processed in network.
• The portal tells you. Evernorth sends an alert when your status reads "Contracting packet is complete"; a status beyond that means provisional credentialing is in effect.
• It can be clawed back. If the full review finds you don't meet all requirements, payments for services during the provisional period may be reviewed and recouped. Don't build a caseload on provisional status with a file you know has a gap.

How long it takes

Stage	Timing	Whose number
Whole process to join	Up to 90 days, or as otherwise required by law	Evernorth
Clinic screening response	Within 30 days of a complete form	Evernorth clinic application
Malpractice policy expiration	At least 60 days out at review	Evernorth
Texas HMO initial credentialing limit	180 calendar days; decision sent within 60 days of being made	TDI (HMO plans)
Recredentialing	Every 3 years	Cigna / Evernorth

The 90 days only start when the file is complete and intake is open. For individuals and clinics during the pause, the real wait is the reopening date; for a facility, it's usually accreditation. Our guide to how long credentialing takes compares plans, and until your effective date, see Cigna members as self-pay with a good faith estimate.

How we work an Evernorth file

This is the order we follow on our own program and for clients, and the checklist our client portal tracks.

Step	What we do	Status you see
1. Check intake	Is individual or clinic intake open today? If not, the interest form goes in the same day, and we pick the date to look again. For a program, we confirm the facility route and that every level of care is on the HHSC license.	Gathering documents
2. Packet and CAQH	CAQH built, attested and authorized for Cigna/Evernorth; five-year work history with gaps explained; a malpractice certificate that won't expire within 60 days; W-9 and NPIs matching the IRS letter. Programs: license, accreditation, liability certificate and survey reports.	Submitted
3. Follow-up	Every two weeks, sooner when Evernorth asks for something, with the date and reference of each contact logged. We watch the portal status for "Contracting packet is complete".	In review · Payer asked for more
4. Contract	Rates for your codes, timely filing, termination terms and effective date checked before you sign. You sign; we don't.	Approved · Contract to sign · Contract signed
5. Go live	Effective date and provider ID confirmed in writing and loaded into the EHR; group clinicians linked to the group's Tax ID and NPI.	In network

You can see what this looks like in the client portal tour, with a made-up practice.

After you're in: authorizations

• PHP and inpatient go by phone. Cigna's precertification page lists 1 (800) 926-2273 for inpatient and partial hospitalization requests; outpatient precertification forms are in the provider form center.
• IOP depends on the plan. Evernorth's authorization and billing resource says whether a service needs authorization depends on the member's benefit plan, and to call to verify. Check every IOP admission.
• New clients in mid-treatment. Cigna's transition and continuity of care request form covers outpatient therapy, medication management and IOP; PHP, inpatient and residential requests go by phone.
• Track each authorization's end date and send the continued-stay review before it lapses. Our prior authorization guide walks through it, and Cima EHR's program plan tracks authorizations and continued-stay reviews by client.

Recredentialing and upkeep

• Every three years. Cigna's behavioral practitioner selection page says each contracted practitioner is recredentialed every three years. Texas also requires HMOs to recredential every three years (TDI's HMO credentialing requirements).
• Re-attest CAQH every 120 days. If you do, Cigna says no extra outreach is needed at recredentialing. If you don't, it contacts you six months before your recredentialing date, tries at least twice more, then sends a pre-termination notice by certified mail.
• Keep malpractice current. A lapsed or soon-to-expire certificate is one of the easiest ways to stall a recredential.
• Facilities keep the license, accreditation and liability certificates current with Evernorth, and report a change in levels of care or locations before you bill under it.
• Read the manual once. The Evernorth Behavioral Health Administrative Guidelines are the rulebook your contract points to.

Credentialing upkeep, $49 per clinician a month, covers CAQH re-attestation, license and malpractice renewals, recredentialing and roster changes for every plan, Evernorth included.

Why Evernorth applications stall

1. Applying during the pause as an individual or clinic, instead of sending the interest form and waiting for the reopening.
2. CAQH not attested or not authorized, or no CAQH ID on the Behavioral Provider Information Form.
3. A work-history gap over six months with no explanation.
4. A malpractice certificate expiring within 60 days, or a binder instead of a face sheet or certificate.
5. A facility without accreditation or Medicare certification, or with a provisional or conditional license, or a level of care that isn't on the license.
6. Name, NPI and Tax ID mismatches between CAQH, the W-9 and the forms.
7. Billing before the effective date or without provisional status active. Those are claim denials, not credentialing ones, but they cost the most.

If Evernorth declines for network need, ask for the reason in writing and what would change it. Our guide to getting in when a network is closed covers the options.

What we do, and what it costs

Cima Consulting files Evernorth the way this page describes: intake status checked first, the CAQH profile built and attested, the forms and five-year history complete, follow-up every two weeks until there's a decision, a contract checklist before you sign, and the effective date confirmed in writing. You sign every application and contract yourself.

Service	Price
CAQH ProView profile Your CAQH profile built from your documents, uploaded, authorized for your payers and attested. Includes: Profile built and documents uploaded; Payers authorized to view it; First attestation.	$250 per clinician
Credentialing: one insurance plan One clinician with one insurance plan, from application to effective date. Includes: Application filed; Follow-up every 2 weeks until decided; Contract review checklist (rates, timely filing, termination); Effective date confirmed and loaded in your EHR.	$175 per plan
Facility or group contract: one plan A program or group contract with one insurance plan: the organization application, site visit and contract. Includes: Organization application; Site visit preparation if the plan does one; Contract and rate review checklist; Effective date and billing set-up confirmed.	$450 per plan

A clinician with Cigna/Evernorth is $175 per plan; a program's facility contract is $450 per plan. Opening a program from scratch? The IOP / PHP Program Launch includes facility contracts with your first plans, and the Program Launch + Accreditation gets you the accreditation Evernorth asks for.

Questions

Who handles credentialing for Cigna behavioral health?

Evernorth Behavioral Health, part of The Cigna Group. Cigna's provider site sends behavioral health clinicians, clinics and facilities to Evernorth's Join the network page, and the contract, credentialing and recredentialing all run through Evernorth.

Is Cigna's behavioral health network accepting new providers?

From June 1, 2026, Evernorth paused new individual and clinic applications and asked providers to complete an interest form or check back after September 1, 2026. Facilities, including PHP and IOP programs, could still apply. Check the live Join the network page for today's status.

Does Evernorth use CAQH?

Yes. Evernorth relies on CAQH (now DataSpring) to verify your information and requires your CAQH ID on its Behavioral Provider Information Form. Keep the profile attested every 120 days and authorize Cigna/Evernorth to view it.

Does Cigna require accreditation for an IOP or PHP?

Evernorth's facility minimums require behavioral health accreditation and/or Medicare certification, plus a state license for every service with no provisional or conditional approvals. A PHP/IOP-only facility also needs liability coverage of at least $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate.

How long does Evernorth credentialing take?

Evernorth says the whole process can take up to 90 days, or as otherwise required by law. Provisional credentialing can let you see Cigna members in network before it's complete, with payments subject to recoupment if the full review finds a problem.

Can I bill Cigna while my application is pending?

Not as in network unless provisional status is active. Otherwise see Cigna members as self-pay with a good faith estimate, or, for a program, ask for a single case agreement in writing before admission.

Back to credentialing for Texas practices and programs, or read the UnitedHealthcare / Optum guide.

Sources

All checked October 24, 2026. Evernorth revises these pages and forms; open the current version before you rely on any detail.

1. Evernorth Behavioral Health, Join the network (including the June 1, 2026 pause notice and facility minimums). evernorth.com
2. Cigna Healthcare, Join the behavioral health network. cigna.com
3. Evernorth Facility Information Form. evernorth.com
4. Evernorth Clinic Information Form (rev. 09/2026). cigna.com
5. Evernorth Behavioral Health, Screening Application for Behavioral Health Clinics (2023). evernorth.com
6. Evernorth, Provisional credentialing FAQ (August 2026). cigna.com
7. Evernorth Behavioral Health Administrative Guidelines. evernorth.com
8. Cigna, Behavioral practitioner selection and recredentialing. cigna.com
9. Cigna, Precertification. cigna.com
10. Evernorth, Authorization and billing resource. cigna.com
11. Cigna, Behavioral transition and continuity of care request form. cigna.com
12. KFF, Tracking insurer participation changes in the ACA marketplaces in 2027. kff.org
13. HCSC, HCSC completes acquisition of Cigna's Medicare businesses (March 19, 2025). hcsc.com
14. Fierce Healthcare, CAQH rebrands as DataSpring (June 2026). fiercehealthcare.com
15. Texas Department of Insurance, HMO provider credentialing requirements. tdi.texas.gov

General information, not legal advice. Cima Consulting isn't a law firm and isn't affiliated with Cigna or Evernorth; Evernorth makes its own network decisions, and we don't guarantee a contract, rate or date.