Own your payer contracts
Leaving Headway, Alma, Grow or Rula: how to get your own insurance contracts
If you want to leave a therapy platform, the key step is getting credentialed with insurance payers under your own NPI before you move any patients. We handle that credentialing, then bill your claims in your own name. Start by reviewing your platform agreement so you know your obligations.
- Credentialing under your own NPI
- From $80 per payer; 5 commercial payers free with billing
- Billing from 2.5% of collections
How platforms work
On many platforms, the payer contract is not in your name
Therapy platforms commonly bill insurance under their own group contracts. You see patients through those contracts, and the platform pays you.
That model makes it easy to start taking insurance. Platforms handle credentialing, billing and often patient matching, and in return they keep a share of reimbursement, pay a set rate per session or charge a fee. The details differ from platform to platform and can change, so check your own agreement for the terms that apply to you.
The trade-off is ownership. Because the contract is often held by the platform’s group, your own NPI may not be in-network with those payers on its own. If you leave, you may not be able to keep billing those payers until you are credentialed yourself.
Before you move
Read your platform agreement first
Before you tell patients anything or move a single appointment, review your platform agreement.
- Notice periods for leaving the platform
- Any terms about continuing to see patients you met through the platform
- How and when final payments are made after you leave
- Who holds the patient records and how you get copies you are entitled to
- Your professional duties to current patients, such as continuity of care and proper notice, set by your licensing board and ethics code
We are a billing and credentialing company, not a law firm, and this page is not legal advice. If any term in your agreement is unclear, talk to a healthcare attorney before moving patients.
How to go direct
Five steps to your own contracts
Credential first, then transition. Keep seeing patients where you are until your own contracts are active.
- 01
Review your agreement
Understand your notice period and any obligations to the platform. Get legal advice if you are unsure.
- 02
Set up your own practice details
Individual NPI, a group NPI and tax ID if you form a practice, a CAQH profile, malpractice coverage and a practice address. We help you get these in order.
- 03
Credential under your own NPI
We apply to the payers your patients use in each state you are licensed. Commercial credentialing commonly takes a few months per payer, and timelines vary. You get weekly status updates.
- 04
Set up billing
We connect to your EHR and clearinghouse, load your fee schedule and check eligibility for incoming patients.
- 05
Transition on your terms
Once contracts are active and your agreement allows it, you start billing in your own name. We submit claims within 24 hours of receiving charges.
Run your own numbers
Compare the two options with your own figures
Use your own statements and contract offers, not someone else’s estimate. Here is the math.
| Line | What to enter | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| A | Sessions per month | Your schedule |
| B | What the platform pays you per session, after its share or fees | Your platform payment statements |
| C | Any monthly platform fee | Your platform agreement or invoices |
| D | What the payer would pay you per session under your own contract | Fee schedules offered by each payer during credentialing |
| E | Your billing fee rate (for example, ours starts at 2.5% of collections) | Your billing quote |
| Platform monthly income | (A × B) − C | Calculated |
| Direct monthly income | (A × D) − (A × D × E) | Calculated |
Also count one-time credentialing costs, the time before contracts are active, patient cost-sharing and any patients who may not move with you. Payer rates differ by plan, state and license type.
Pricing
What going direct costs with us
Credentialing starts at $80 per payer, and we credential 5 commercial payers free when you sign up for billing. Billing starts at 2.5% of collections.
- Credentialing packages and monthly plans are available
- Government payers such as Medicare and Medicaid are not part of the free 5
- Denials worked within 5 business days
- No long-term contract required
Mental health credentialing
How we get therapists and counselors in-network.
Learn more →Pricing
Every billing and credentialing option.
Learn more →Headway, Alma, Grow Therapy and Rula are trademarks of their owners. RevenueCTRL is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. Platform descriptions on this page are general and were last reviewed in September 2026; each platform’s terms may differ and change.
Common questions
Can I keep my patients if I leave a platform?
It depends on your platform agreement and on whether you are in-network with each patient’s insurance under your own NPI. Review your agreement first, and get legal advice if any term is unclear.
Should I leave the platform before I get credentialed?
Usually not. Get credentialed under your own NPI first and keep seeing patients where you are until your own contracts are active, so your income does not stop.
How long does it take to get my own contracts?
Commercial payer credentialing commonly takes a few months per payer, and some take longer. Timelines vary by payer and state. We send weekly status updates on every application.
How much do platforms charge?
It varies. Some keep a share of each reimbursement, some pay a set rate per session and some charge a monthly fee, and terms can change. Check your own agreement and payment statements for the real numbers.
Will I earn more by going direct?
It can, but it depends on the rates payers offer you, your volume and your costs. Use the formula on this page with your own numbers before you decide.
Can I stay on a platform and also have my own contracts?
Sometimes. It depends on your platform agreement, which may limit outside work or seeing the same patients elsewhere. Some clinicians keep a platform while they build their own caseload.
Are you affiliated with Headway, Alma, Grow Therapy or Rula?
No. RevenueCTRL is an independent billing and credentialing company. Those names are trademarks of their owners.
Guides from our team
Learn more before you decide
Aetna Behavioral Health: Credentialing and Billing for Therapists and Psychiatric Providers
How therapists, psychiatrists and PMHNPs join Aetna’s behavioral health network, which Aetna products are separate, and common Aetna denials.
Read the guide →CAQH ProView: Complete Setup, Attestation, and Maintenance Guide
How CAQH ProView works: profile setup, the 120-day re-attestation cycle, payer authorization, document uploads, and the errors that stall credentialing.
Read the guide →How to Get Paneled With Insurance as a Therapist: Steps, Timeline and Cost
How to get in-network with insurance as a therapist or counselor: what you need, how long it takes, what it costs, and what to do if a panel is closed.
Read the guide →Find out what your claims are leaving on the table
Tell us about your practice. We will review 90 days of claims and show you what is recoverable, at no cost.
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