Guide for Washington clinicians
CAQH for therapists: what's involved and where people get stuck
Last reviewed: October 19, 2026
If you want to take insurance, you'll almost certainly need a CAQH profile. It's the first thing most insurers check, and it's where many therapists get stuck. This guide explains what CAQH is, what you'll need, the mistakes that slow applications down, and how to keep your profile current.
What CAQH is
CAQH runs a free online profile where you enter your professional information once: license, education, work history, malpractice coverage, and practice details. Insurers pull from that profile when they credential you, so you don't fill out the same information for every insurer.
New name, same profile. In June 2026, CAQH rebranded as DataSpring, powered by CAQH, and the profile tool (formerly CAQH ProView) is now the CAQH Provider Data Portal. Logins, profiles, and links didn't change, and it's still free for clinicians. Your profile belongs to you, not to your employer or any insurer.
How to get started
- If an insurer or group invited you, start from their invitation. It connects your profile to them.
- If not, you can register yourself on the Provider Data Portal.
- Check whether you already have one. Employers and agencies sometimes start a profile for new clinicians. Search your email for messages from CAQH or ProView before creating a second one.
What you'll need
- Your Washington license (number and expiration date)
- Your individual NPI
- Your malpractice certificate, showing the carrier, limits, and dates
- Your education details (degree, school, graduation date)
- Your work history with the month and year for each position, and a short explanation for any gaps. CAQH's own guidance is to leave no unexplained gaps in the most recent five years.
- Each practice location, including telehealth, with phone and hours
- Your tax ID details: your own, or your business's if you bill as a PLLC
- Answers to the disclosure questions about your licensure and malpractice history
Where people get stuck
These are the problems that most often hold up an application:
- Unexplained gaps in work history. Time between jobs is fine. A gap with no explanation can pause your application.
- Details that don't match. Your name, practice address, and license number need to match exactly across CAQH, your NPI record, your license, and your application. "Suite 200" in one place and "#200" in another can be enough to cause questions.
- Expired documents. An expired malpractice certificate or license on file stops an application cold.
- Insurers not authorized. Your profile is private, and insurers can only see it once you authorize them. A complete profile that no one is allowed to view doesn't help.
- Sections that don't seem to apply. Some questions are written for physicians, such as hospital privileges. They still need an answer that fits your practice.
- A lapsed attestation (see below).
Attesting, and keeping it current
When your profile is complete, you attest, confirming that everything is accurate. CAQH asks providers to re-attest about every 120 days, even if nothing changed. If you miss it, insurers may see your profile as out of date, which can stall applications and renewals.
Update your profile whenever something changes: a new license (for example, when an associate becomes fully licensed), a new address, or a renewed malpractice policy. Then re-attest.
Common questions
Does CAQH cost anything?
No. It's free for clinicians and practices.
Is a CAQH profile the same as being in-network?
No. CAQH holds your information. You still apply to each insurer, and each one decides on your application separately.
Does Apple Health or Medicare use CAQH?
They have their own enrollment processes (ProviderOne for Apple Health, and Medicare's own enrollment). Many commercial and managed care plans do use CAQH. See our Medicare guide.
Want us to handle it?
CAQH setup or cleanup is $150 and usually done in 2 business days. We create or update your profile, upload your documents, fix gaps and mismatches, and get it ready for you to attest. If you're an associate getting fully licensed soon, see our LMHCA to LMHC timeline for the best time to start.
Sources
- DataSpring: Information for clinicians (the June 2026 rebrand, cost, and profile ownership)
- CAQH: Guide for engaging providers in ProView (work history guidance)
This page is general information. Insurers set their own credentialing requirements, so check with each one about your situation.