All PlansAdministrativeMedium impact
Provisional Credentialing To Be Discontinued, Effective July 1, 2026
BCBS Montana·MT·General
Effective date
Jul 1, 2026
We identified it
Jul 2, 2026
Summary
Blue Cross Blue Shield Montana is discontinuing provisional credentialing for professional providers effective July 1, 2026. All providers must now complete the full credentialing process before joining their networks, rather than being allowed to start participating after initial review. This streamlines credentialing processes and ensures compliance with credentialing standards.
Action Required
By June 1, 2026: Billing and credentialing teams must identify all currently provisionally credentialed providers in BCBS Montana networks and ensure they complete full credentialing before the July 1, 2026 deadline. Update internal credentialing checklists and workflows to remove provisional credentialing as an option. Notify all in-network providers and prospective providers that provisional credentialing is no longer available. Update provider onboarding materials and the CAQH portal instructions to reflect that full credentialing completion is required before network participation begins. Failure to complete full credentialing by the deadline may result in provider contracts being terminated or new providers being denied network access.