Solo Practice

A medical practice owned and operated by a single healthcare provider who is independently responsible for all administrative, clinical, and credentialing requirements.

A solo practice is a healthcare practice owned and operated by a single provider. The provider is the business owner, the clinician, and often the administrative decision-maker all in one. Credentialing as a solo practitioner means you handle everything yourself or hire a credentialing service to do it for you. There is no group infrastructure to lean on, no credentialing coordinator on staff, and no delegated credentialing agreements to speed things up. The biggest credentialing challenge for solo practitioners is time. Filling out 15 payer applications, maintaining a CAQH profile, tracking re-credentialing deadlines, and responding to requests for additional information all take time away from patient care. This is why many solo practitioners hire a credentialing service, especially when they are first starting their practice. For Medicare enrollment, solo practitioners file a CMS-855I (individual enrollment) and may also need a CMS-855B (group enrollment) if they are billing under a practice entity rather than as an individual. The distinction matters for how your claims are submitted and how your NPI is listed. Solo practitioners should also pay attention to their payer mix. Because you are the only provider generating revenue, losing a major payer contract due to a missed re-credentialing deadline can have an outsized impact on your practice's financial health. Set up a tracking system for every payer's re-credentialing cycle and every license renewal date. Despite the challenges, many providers choose solo practice for the autonomy it provides. You control your schedule, your patient panel, your fee negotiations, and your practice culture. Just make sure the administrative side is covered so you can focus on what you do best.