Early Intervention for Providers

Early Intervention (EI) is a federal program that provides services for families with children (0 – 36 months) in order to meet developmental milestones. EI helps children with disabilities or developmental delays achieve developmental milestones.

Illinois is committed to building a strong and thriving system of support for families and young children across the state This page briefly outlines how you can become an EI provider, how to bill for your services as a provider, and where to find full details and key resources.

Families with young children need you! Your services make a direct and lasting impact on families and the state. 

Illinois’ most high-need services are: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and developmental therapy. In total, Illinois offers 16 types of EI services delivered by qualified professionals, including: 

• Audiologists

• Developmental therapists (special educators) 

• Family therapists

• Nurses

• Nutritionists

• Occupational therapists 

• Optometrists

• Orientation and mobility specialists

• Pediatricians (and other physicians)

• Physical therapists 

• Psychologists

• Social workers

• Speech-language pathologists

Since 2023, EI providers received two rate increases, including 10% for all providers in 2023 and 5 – 8% for targeted providers in 2025. 

Whether you are new to EI, transferring from another state or rejoining the list after time away, IDEC seeks to support you in your efforts to become an EI provider. To provide EI services in Illinois, as a provider you must be credentialed and enrolled.  

Here are the three main steps in order:

1. Enroll in IMPACT.  You must enroll in the Illinois Medicaid Program Advanced Cloud Technology (IMPACT).  

1. Apply for an EI credential.  Once your IMPACT status shows as “in review,” you can download and mail the credential application.  

1. Get started!  Once credentialed, contact the local Child and Family Connections (CFC) office that serve the counties where you work to begin receiving referrals.

    

EI providers bill through the EI Central Billing Office (CBO). You must have a pre-approved service authorization from your local Child and Family Connections (CFC) office before delivering services. Unauthorized services are not guaranteed for payment. 

If a child has public or private insurance, you must verify benefits and bill the insurance company before submitting a claim to the CBO, unless a specific insurance waiver is in place. 

IDEC requires providers to submit completed claims to the CBO for all EI children. This includes cases where the entire claim was paid by private insurance. 

If insurance pays less than the state EI rate for the service provided, you may bill CBO for the difference. Please note that providers may only bill for direct, authorized services.  You cannot bill for non-billable activities such as travel time, session preparation, case documentation, phone calls with parents, or family no-shows. 

EI providers must accept all eligible children and families without discrimination, regardless of their insurance status or source of coverage.

To learn more about the billing process of if you have questions, please contact the CBO Help Desk at 1-800-634-8540.

Provider Connections (credentialing and enrollment)

• Tips for getting started as a provider

• Illinois Early Intervention Provider Handbook

• Provider search 

• Credentialing overview

Early Intervention Training Program (EITP) (training and professional development)

• Requirements for new providers

• Overview of the referral process 

Early Intervention Central Billing Office (CBO) (billing and payments)

• Billing information for providers

Early Intervention Clearinghouse (central directory and family resources)

• Resources for professionals 

• Making a referral

 If you have any other questions, please contact the EI program at Questions.IDEC@illinois.gov. 

The following sites provide additional information and resources in regard to Early Intervention:

Family-Focused Information - Basic information on the Illinois Early Intervention Program

Child Find / Public Awareness Materials - Information on a variety of Child Find/Public Awareness materials for both Part C Early Intervention and Part B Early Childhood with the ability to order paper copies free of charge.

Child & Family Connections Procedure Manual