• Enroll with Wellmark 
• Wellmark Reviews Your Application 
• Recredentialing 
• Enrollment Rules for Hospital-Based Providers 

Enroll with Wellmark 

To provide services that can be considered for Wellmark benefits, you must enroll with Wellmark. When you enroll, you provide Wellmark with information needed to determine if your services are covered. Wellmark will not cover services provided prior to your effective date.

Participation option: To receive added benefits, you may participate in one or more networks by signing a contract with Wellmark.

Note for hospital-based providers: You may save time by reviewing Enrollment Rules for Hospital-Based Providers before proceeding. 

Begin Wellmark's enrollment process or review the process as described below.

Wellmark Reviews Your Application

Once you submit your application, Wellmark reviews the information and calls or sends a letter to gather any missing information. When required information is received, applications are reviewed.

If you are applying for participation in a Wellmark network, your application will follow the credentialing process described below:

1. Requirements checked – Wellmark makes sure you have a license in the state you're practicing, have liability insurance, aren't being sanctioned, and meet other requirements. For additional requirements, refer to the Contracts and Credentialing section  of the Wellmark Billing Guide.
2. Credentialing Committee review – A committee of seven (six Wellmark network providers and the Wellmark medical director) reviews your information and notifies you of its decision within 60 days.
3. Ongoing monitoring – During the three years that a practitioner is credentialed, Wellmark monitors any sanctions, citations, member complaints, or adverse events that occur.

The following practitioners are not required to be credentialed by Wellmark unless they wish to be listed in Wellmark's provider directory:

• Physicians (specifically pathologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, hospitalists and emergency room physicians) and certified registered nurse anesthetists who meet all of the following requirements:
  • Practice exclusively within the inpatient hospital setting or a freestanding facility setting (such as mammography centers, urgent care centers and surgery centers)
  • Provide care for members only as a result of the members being directed to a participating facility
  • Are credentialed by a Wellmark participating facility
• Residents who moonlight outside of their training program and have a full medical license (not a resident's license) can be enrolled and credentialed for the moonlighting situation. If the resident is moonlighting at the emergency department, the resident does not have to be credentialed but should be enrolled with Wellmark.  If the resident is moonlighting in an in-network clinic, the resident must be fully credentialed with Wellmark. 

The following practitioners are not credentialed:

• Hospital-based emergency room physicians are not credentialed by Wellmark.
• Physical therapists, occupational therapists, advanced registered nurse practitioners, and telemedicine consultants who perform services in the hospital setting and whose services are billed using the hospital’s NPI. Wellmark does not expect enrollment information for these providers because they are not identified for claim submission purposes.
• Locum tenens practitioners who are in place for 60 days or less to provide coverage during the absence of a participating practitioner. If the locum tenens will be practicing at the location for more than 60 days, he/she must be credentialed. 

Recredentialing 

Recredentialing occurs every three years. If you are participating, Wellmark will send the recredentialing documents to you well in advance of your recredentialing due date. 

To avoid being terminated from Wellmark’s provider network(s), you must complete the document and return to Wellmark within the timeframe identified in the notice.

Enrollment Rules for Hospital-Based Practitioners

Hospital-based practitioners are radiologists,, pathologists, anesthesiologists, hospitalists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and emergency room physicians practicing exclusively in a hospital or other facility setting. These practitioners need to enroll with Wellmark. However, depending on the situation, these practitioners may not need to execute a contract for participation with Wellmark:

Hospital Billing for Services

A hospital may have an employment or contracting relationship with some or all of their hospital-based practitioners. The practitioners’ services are submitted by the hospital to Wellmark using the hospital taxpayer ID number and NPI. Wellmark settles these claims with the hospital.

In this situation, the hospital executes a provider group agreement. If the hospital signs a group agreement with Wellmark, the practitioner does not need to execute a participating agreement. However, the hospital must provide a group list of all hospital-based practitioners who are covered under their group agreement. Each practitioner on the group list:

• Should complete the application process if they have not already done so at a private practice location.
• Does not need to complete a contract for participation. 

Practitioner or Provider Group Billing for Services

Some hospitals have a staffing arrangement with their hospital-based providers. As a part of this arrangement, the individual practitioner or group would contract direct with Wellmark. The individual or provider group bills for the professional component of the service using the appropriate individual or group taxpayer ID number and NPI. Wellmark settles these claims with the individual practitioner or group.