State Guide
Credentialing in Texas
Enrollment guides for 60 payers operating in Texas.
What actually differs in Texas
Credentialing advice written for "most states" tends to be wrong here in specific, expensive ways. These are the rules that only apply in Texas.
- Associate-level behavioral health billing (strict) TMPPM Vol. 2, Behavioral Health and Case Management Services Handbook §4.1, §4.2.3
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Texas Medicaid closes both doors on master's-track associates for outpatient behavioral health: providers holding a temporary license are not eligible to enroll (TMPPM. The LCSW, LMFT and LPC sections each carry that sentence verbatim), and supervisor billing is expressly forbidden: only the LCSW, LMFT, LPC, APRN or PA performing the service may bill, and they must not bill for services performed by people under their supervision. Do not map California's supervisor-renders or Washington's associate-renders pattern onto Texas outpatient work.
TMHP TMPPM Behavioral Health Handbook (July 2026) via kb/states/tx.md · checked Jul 2026
- Enrollable mental health provider types TMPPM Vol. 2, Behavioral Health Handbook §4.1
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Texas Medicaid's enrollable mental-health list covers physicians, PAs, APRNs, LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, psychologists, licensed psychological associates (LPAs), provisionally licensed psychologists (PLPs), post-doctoral fellows and pre-doctoral psychology interns, note the psychology track admits trainees while the counselor/social-work tracks do not.
TMHP TMPPM Behavioral Health Handbook (July 2026) via kb/states/tx.md · checked Jul 2026
- School-based (SHARS) behavioral health TMPPM SHARS Handbook
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The Texas SHARS (School Health and Related Services) lane excludes interns from rendering, psychological services in schools follow the SHARS handbook's own credential rules, a separate lane from outpatient behavioral health.
TMHP TMPPM SHARS Handbook via kb/states/tx.md · checked Jul 2026
- Associate-billing legislation status Tex. HB 1716 (89R)
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Bills to open Texas Medicaid billing for associate-level counselors (HB 1879 in 2023, HB 1716 with companion SB 469 in 2025) passed the House but died in the Senate both sessions, HB 1716 passed the House April 24, 2025 and stalled in Senate Health & Human Services. The associate exclusion stands; watch the 2027 session (90R).
Texas Legislature Online, HB 1716 history, via kb/states/tx.md · checked Jul 2026
Want Texas handled for you?
A credentialing manager files the applications, chases the payers and tracks your recredentialing dates.
Get started freeWho Runs Texas Medicaid Provider Enrollment
50-state researchEnrollment Portal
PEMS (Provider Enrollment and Management System) via TMHP
Operated By
Accenture (TMHP)
Platform
PEMS
Texas is the only state where Accenture runs Medicaid enrollment, through the TMHP organization and its PEMS system, so Texas specific guidance rarely transfers to other states.
Go to the official Texas enrollment portalFrom PayerReady's 50-state Medicaid enrollment platform research, verified July 2026. Portal contracts change; where an operator is in transition or not publicly confirmed, we say so rather than guess.
Aetna
Aetna (CVS Health)
Timeline: 90-150 days
CAQH Required
UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare
Timeline: 45-90 days
CAQH Required
Cigna Healthcare
Cigna Healthcare
Timeline: 45-60 days
CAQH Required
Anthem / Elevance Health
Anthem (Elevance Health)
Timeline: 45-90 days
CAQH Required
Humana
Humana
Timeline: 45-90 days
CAQH Required
Centene Corporation
Centene
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Molina Healthcare
Molina Healthcare
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Timeline: 45-60 days
CAQH Required
Texas Medicaid
Timeline: 30-90 days
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
Timeline: 30-60 days
CAQH Required
Amerigroup (Anthem)
Amerigroup Texas
Timeline: 30-60 days
CAQH Required
Aetna Better Health
Aetna Better Health of Texas
Timeline: 30-60 days
CAQH Required
Molina Healthcare (Medicaid)
Molina Healthcare (Medicaid)
Timeline: 30-60 days
CAQH Required
AmeriHealth Caritas
AmeriHealth Caritas
Timeline: 30-90 days
CAQH Required
TRICARE
Timeline: 30-90 days
TRICARE East Region (Humana Military)
Timeline: 30-60 days
CAQH Required
CHAMPVA
CHAMPVA (VA Office of Integrated Veteran Care)
Timeline: 14-45 days
Delta Dental
Delta Dental
Timeline: 90-120 days
Cigna Dental
Cigna Dental
Timeline: 45-90 days
CAQH Required
MetLife Dental
MetLife Dental
Timeline: 60-120 days
Guardian Dental
Guardian Dental
Timeline: 60-90 days
Aetna Dental
Aetna Dental
Timeline: 60-120 days
CAQH Required
United Concordia
United Concordia Dental
Timeline: 45-90 days
CAQH Required
DentaQuest
DentaQuest (a Sun Life company)
Timeline: 30-60 days
MCNA Dental
MCNA Dental
Timeline: 30-60 days
Liberty Dental Plan
LIBERTY Dental Plan
Timeline: 10-90 days
Dental Network of America
Timeline: 60-90 days
VSP Vision Care
VSP Vision Care
Timeline: 30-60 days
EyeMed Vision Care
EyeMed Vision Care
Timeline: 30-60 days
Davis Vision
Davis Vision (Versant Health / MetLife)
Timeline: 30-60 days
Spectera / UHC Vision
Spectera (UnitedHealthcare Vision)
Timeline: 30-60 days
Optum Behavioral Health
Optum Behavioral Health (United Behavioral Health)
Timeline: 30-45 days
CAQH Required
Carelon Behavioral Health
Carelon Behavioral Health (formerly Beacon Health Options)
Timeline: 30-60 days
CAQH Required
Magellan Health
Magellan Behavioral Health
Timeline: 30-60 days
CAQH Required
Evernorth Behavioral Health
Evernorth Behavioral Health (formerly Cigna Behavioral Health)
Timeline: 30-60 days
CAQH Required
Oscar Health
Timeline: 45-90 days
CAQH Required
Clover Health
Timeline: 45-60 days
CAQH Required
Devoted Health
Timeline: 14-21 days
CAQH Required
Bright Health
Timeline: 45-90 days
CAQH Required
Friday Health Plans
Timeline: 30-60 days
CAQH Required
Alignment Healthcare
Timeline: 30-60 days
CAQH Required
Workers' Compensation
Timeline: 14-60 days
Novitas Solutions (Jurisdiction H/L)
Timeline: 60-90 days
CGS Administrators (DME B/C)
Timeline: 60-120 days
Ambetter
Ambetter (a Centene company)
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Amerigroup (Wellpoint)
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Anthem Blue Shield
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Carelon
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Centene Corporation
Wellcare (a Centene company)
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Community Plan
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Compsych
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Medicaid
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Medicare
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Medicare Fee-for-Service (CMS)
Medicare (Novitas Solutions, Jurisdiction JH)
Timeline: 45-120 days
Megellan
Magellan Behavioral Health
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
MultiPlan
MultiPlan / Claritev (PHCS Network)
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Oscar
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Superior Health
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
WellCare
Timeline: 60-90 days
CAQH Required
Reviewed by the PayerReady Credentialing Team
Our credentialing specialists verify every article against current CMS regulations, NCQA standards, and payer-specific enrollment requirements. See our editorial process.
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