Built for clinicians
going independent.
PracticeElf coordinates the exit, launch, and first patients — so the physician keeps ownership and Elf handles the ops. These tools are live.
The complete launch track
One system from your last day employed to your first 12 months of operations.
Non-compete decode, tail coverage, savings runway, resignation letter, go-date.
Entity, NPI, CAQH, DEA, PECOS, state licensing, payer enrollment, EHR selection.
Website, Google profile, local SEO, referral network, first marketing campaigns.
Billing, collections, payroll, license renewals, estimated taxes, HIPAA compliance.
Reviews, referrals, panel expansion, retention, and strategic second-year planning.
Three tools, live today
No account required for the first two. The dashboard requires sign-in.
Exit Readiness Audit
8 questions that surface the real blockers before you hand in your badge — non-compete scope, tail coverage gaps, savings runway. Physicians see their risk score and a prioritized action list in 3 minutes.
Take the auditCash-Gap Estimator
The "valley" is the credentialing period before insurance payments start. This calculator shows the realistic cash gap — low/mid/high range — based on practice type, overhead, and payer mix. Physicians see their number in seconds.
Calculate your valleyLaunch Dashboard
The full PracticeElf experience: a 5-lane board (Exit → Launch → Fill → Sustain → Grow), payer enrollment tracking, obligation deadlines, financial profile, and Elf — the conversational AI that captures numbers and drafts outreach.
Open dashboardYou talk. Elf records and acts.
Tell Elf your numbers in plain English. He captures them into structured data — financial profile, payer tracker, obligation calendar — and surfaces your valley estimate in real time.
- Financial profile captured from conversation — no forms
- Valley estimate updates instantly from your real numbers
- Payer applications, tasks, and contracts tracked as you go
The opportunity
Why this is a software problem, not a staffing problem.
MDs and DOs leave employed positions annually in the US. NPs and PAs add another 15,000–20,000. The shift from hospital-employed to independent practice has accelerated since 2021.
Average credentialing lag before insurance payments start — the "valley" every independent practice navigates. The cash gap is typically $30,000–$150,000 depending on specialty and payer mix.
Distinct steps from resignation to first paid claim — entity formation, NPI, CAQH, PECOS, DEA, state licenses, payer apps, EHR, malpractice tail. Currently managed in spreadsheets and email threads.
Physicians are burned by percentage-of-collections consultants who earn more as the practice succeeds. PracticeElf charges a flat fee — aligned with the physician, not with billing volume.
A working product, not a deck.
These features are live and in active use. The dashboard is invitation-only during our initial physician cohort.
Free tools
- Exit Readiness Audit — 10-question risk score with prioritized action list. Takes 3 minutes.
- Cash-Gap Estimator — credentialing valley calculator with low/mid/high range by specialty and payer mix.
Dashboard
- 5-lane launch board: Exit → Launch → Fill → Sustain → Grow
- Payer enrollment tracker with expected credentialing timelines
- Cashflow & runway projection with data-driven valley chart
- Obligation calendar — every deadline dated and tracked
- Vendor & contracts register
- Elf — the AI guide that captures numbers through conversation and tracks next steps
Next 90 days
- Voice intake — Elf via phone call, so the physician can start the moment they decide to leave
- Payer application drafting — pre-filled CAQH and payer forms from the physician's profile
- Mobile-optimized dashboard for on-the-go credentialing updates
- Practice analytics — revenue per payer, credentialing lag benchmarks
The model
Why this is a software problem — and what the unit economics look like.
Physicians leaving employed positions annually. NPs and PAs add 15–20k more. The shift from hospital-employed to independent has accelerated every year since 2021.
Monthly SaaS, never a percentage of collections. Three tiers from self-serve to done-for-you. The practice keeps every dollar of upside; we keep the recurring fee.
Average customer span from pre-exit to stable first-year ops. Billing, credentialing, and growth work extends the relationship well past the initial launch.
The same Elf — conversational capture, structured data, payer tracking — serves all three tiers. Marginal cost to serve scales far below revenue per customer as volume grows.
Estimated LTV at 18-month average engagement. Self-directed at $3.6k ACV ($299/mo); done-with-you at $9.6k ACV ($799/mo). Variable cost is API tokens — fixed cost is infrastructure already built.
Market estimates are based on AAMC, AMA, and BLS workforce reports. Revenue and engagement figures are illustrative of the model; actual results depend on cohort and tier mix.
Why this is happening now.
The structure of American physician employment is shifting — faster than any technology transition since the EHR mandate. PracticeElf is purpose-built for the moment when a clinician decides to go independent.
Physicians in hospital or health-system employment — for the first time since tracking began, the majority of U.S. physicians now work outside hospital-owned settings.
AMA 2022 Physician Practice Benchmark SurveyPhysicians go independent each year — roughly 6% of the 350,000 employed base. The shift has accelerated post-2021 as PE consolidation and administrative burden push toward autonomy, with NPs, PAs, and therapists on the same path.
AMA Physician Practice Benchmark; MGMA survey dataDays, typically, between a physician's last employer paycheck and their first paid payer claim — the cash-flow valley that makes or breaks solo launches. This gap has always existed; AI finally makes it modelable, plannable, and financeable.
Based on typical payer credentialing timelinesHow PracticeElf is different
Not a consultant. Not a broker. Something new.
Why not just hire a consultant?
How PracticeElf stacks up against the alternatives.
| Capability | PracticeElf | Billing co. | Credentialing service | DIY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exit planning & contract review guidance | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ~ |
| CAQH, PECOS & payer credentialing | ✓ | ~ | ✓ | ~ |
| Obligation reminders (DEA, license, CAQH re-attest) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Real-time cash-flow valley estimate | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Vendor management & follow-up tracking | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| AI guide available 24/7 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Pricing model | Flat fee | % of collections | Per-payer fee | Your time |
| Covers exit → launch → fill → sustain | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| ✓ = fully covered · ~ = partial or requires add-on · ✗ = not included. Comparisons represent typical offerings; individual providers vary. | ||||
Ready to explore further?
Try the tools above, then reach out. We're talking to physicians, NPs, and therapists actively planning their exit.
See your numbers before you give notice.
Free Exit Readiness check — your valley estimate, credentialing timeline, and first three moves. Takes 3 minutes. No card, no login.
Start freeInterested in the business or a partnership?
Reach out directly. We're talking to healthcare-aligned funds, credentialing service networks, and practice management groups exploring distribution.
Email us