1. Talkspace Provider Applicants
  2. Onboarding Process
  3. Credentialing

Talkspace & Medicare

Last Updated

Background

Medicare is the federal health care program serving individuals aged 65 and older and eligible younger individuals with disabilities. Talkspace works with Medicare to provide accessible online therapy to covered beneficiaries. 

Medicare offers two coverage options: Medicare Advantage & Traditional (Original) Medicare.

Provider Action Required

Medicare Advantage

All eligible, fully & independently licensed, credentialed providers are automatically able to match with Medicare Advantage clients once they’ve been credentialed. 

Talkspace is enrolled in Traditional Medicare as a group practice and has established contracts with Medicare Advantage insurance plans as a group provider. This means individual providers are not required to enroll in Traditional Medicare to provide services to Medicare Advantage clients since billing is done at the group level and not by the individual provider.

All contracted, W2, and independently practicing providers who are credentialed at Talkspace will be able to match with Medicare Advantage clients at Talkspace. 

AT THIS TIME, THERE IS NO OPTION TO OPT-OUT OF SERVING MEDICARE ADVANTAGE CLIENTS AT TALKSPACE.

Traditional (Original) Medicare

At this time, Talkspace is not adding additional providers to our Traditional Medicare network (unless you are a National Practice Provider). The process for enrollment is listed below for reference.

  • NOTE: If you have a current Talkspace client transitioning to Traditional Medicare coverage, or if you have current clients outside of Talkspace you want to bring on to the Talkspace network, you can reach out to Credentialing@Talkspace.com to inquire about the enrollment process.

Traditional Medicare requires individual provider enrollment in each state you are licensed to practice. Every provider has a PECOS account that is linked to your NPPES login. If you have an NPI number, you will have a PECOS login (if you do not know your login information, you can follow the system prompts to reset your account information, reach out to 866-484-8049, or email EUS_Support@cms.hhs.gov). 

Two applications are required for enrollment and activation: the initial enrollment application and a “Reassignment of Benefits” application, which associates your enrollment to Talkspace for billing purposes. If you are already enrolled in Medicare, Talkspace will review your current application(s) for accuracy, work with you on any required updates, and submit the reassignment of benefits application on your behalf. 

If you are currently enrolled in Medicare

  1. Grant PECOS Access: Log in to PECOS and approve the "Surrogacy Request" from Talkspace. If you do not know your login information, see the FAQs below for instructions on how to reset your login information.
    1. Note: If you are licensed in multiple states, you may need to approve a request for each relevant Talkspace entity. See FAQs below for entity details.
  2. Documentation Review: Talkspace will review your existing applications. If any updates are necessary, we will coordinate with you to collect required information.
    1. Such necessary changes could include practice location updates, licensure changes, name changes, or any other information which may be out of date
  3. Sign Applications: Watch for an automated email from CMS/HHS to electronically sign your forms. 
    1. If you are already enrolled and no updates are needed, you only need to sign the Reassignment of Benefits. 
    2. If you are enrolling for the first time or updates are needed to your application(s), you must sign both the initial enrollment and the reassignment applications.
  4. Activation: Once CMS approves your applications for every state where you are active at Talkspace, you’ll be ready to match with Traditional Medicare clients!
    1. If any additional information is required per CMS/HHS, Talkspace will coordinate with you to obtain and return to CMS/HHS

If you have SOME enrollment in Medicare 

  1. Grant PECOS Access: Log in to PECOS and approve the "Surrogacy Request" from Talkspace. If you do not know your login information, see the FAQs below for instructions on how to reset your login information.
    1. Note: If you are licensed in multiple states, you may need to approve a request for each relevant Talkspace entity. See FAQs below for entity details.
  2. Documentation Review: Talkspace will review your existing applications. If any updates are necessary, we will coordinate with you to collect required information.
    1. Such necessary changes could include practice location updates, licensure changes, name changes, or any other information which may be out of date
  3. Sign Applications: Watch for an automated email from CMS/HHS to electronically sign your forms. 
    1. If you are already enrolled and no updates are needed in currently enrolled states, you only need to sign the Reassignment of Benefits for those states. 
    2. If you are enrolling for the first time in a state or updates are needed to your  existing application(s), you must sign both the initial enrollment and the reassignment applications.
  4. Activation: Once CMS approves your applications for every state where you are active at Talkspace, you’ll be ready to match with Traditional Medicare clients!
    1. If any additional information is required per CMS/HHS, Talkspace will coordinate with you to obtain and return to CMS/HHS

If you are not currently enrolled in Medicare

  1. Grant PECOS Access: Log in to PECOS and approve the "Surrogacy Request" from Talkspace. If you do not know your login information, see the FAQs below for instructions on how to reset your login information.
    1. Note: If you are licensed in multiple states, you may need to approve a request for each relevant Talkspace entity. See FAQs below for entity details.
  2. Documentation Review: Talkspace will review documentation on file. If any additional documents or information are necessary, we will coordinate with you to collect required information.
    1. Such necessary documents could include proof of completion of supervision hours, school transcripts, etc.
  3. Sign Applications: Watch for an automated email from CMS/HHS to electronically sign your forms. 
    1. You must sign both the initial enrollment and the reassignment applications.
  4. Activation: Once CMS approves your applications for every state where you are active at Talkspace, you’ll be ready to match with Traditional Medicare clients!
    1. If any additional information is required per CMS/HHS, Talkspace will coordinate with you to obtain and return to CMS/HHS

Talkspace does not guarantee provider enrollment in Traditional Medicare - enrollment applications are reviewed and approved/denied by CMS.

FAQ

Medicare Advantage

Why can’t I opt out? 

  • At this time, Talkspace’s systems are not set up to allow for opting out of specific plan types - if you are credentialed at Talkspace, you will receive clients from all insurance payers which do not require an additional enrollment process (such as Traditional Medicare).

What plans does Talkspace participate in? 

  • Talkspace is currently contracted with plans by: BCBS, Horizon, United Healthcare, Anthem, Regence, etc. If you have specific plan questions, reach out to credentialing@talkspace.com.

Traditional Medicare

I don’t know my PECOS login information. How do I access PECOS? 

  • If you do not know your login information, you can follow the system prompts to reset your account information, reach out to 866-484-8049, or email EUS_Support@cms.hhs.gov. 

What if I receive a check from Medicare at my home/office address? 

  • If you receive a Medicare check at your home, please do not open it. We ask that you please forward the unopened envelope to the following address:
    • P.O. Box 659 Portsmouth, NH 03802

I received a deactivation/revalidation notice - what do I do with this? 

  • If you receive a deactivation or revalidation notice from CMS/Medicare, please forward a copy immediately to credentialing@talkspace.com to reactivate/revalidate your Medicare application. If you do not inform Talkspace of deactivation/revalidation notice received, this may impact your clients’ billing experience and Talkspace's ability to collect reimbursement. Be sure to send ANY notice of deactivation or revalidation to credentialing@talkspace.com as soon as it is received.

Why do I need to approve multiple surrogacy requests? I already did this. 

  • Talkspace currently has 9 entities - if you are licensed in more than one of the below states, expect to receive and approve multiple surrogacy requests:
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • Alaska
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Michigan
    • Washington
    • All other states
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