CAQH ProView for Therapists: How to Set Up, Attest, and Keep It Current

What CAQH is, in plain English

CAQH ProView is a shared credentialing database. Instead of typing your education, license, work history, and malpractice into a separate form for every insurance company, you enter it once in CAQH ProView and grant each payer access. According to CAQH, it’s free to providers and available in all 50 states.

CAQH doesn’t put you in-network. It just makes your information available. You still apply to each payer and sign each contract. See insurance credentialing for therapists.

Step 1: Get a CAQH ID

Many therapists get their CAQH ID when a payer adds them, or by self-registering on the ProView site. Either way, you’ll end up with one ID you use everywhere. Keep it in your practice records.

Step 2: Gather documents before you start

Having these ready makes setup much faster:

• California license number and expiration date.
• NPI (Type 1, and Type 2 if you have a corporation).
• Malpractice certificate (face sheet) showing your coverage and dates.
• Degree and school details, and post-graduate training.
• Work history with month/year dates. Explain gaps of several months or more.
• Practice location details: address, phone, hours, accessibility, and whether you offer telehealth.
• Tax ID and W-9 for the entity that will bill.
• A CV, if you have one.

Do not upload anything to CAQH that a payer doesn’t need. And never put CAQH login details or exports in an email, a shared doc, or a chat.

Step 3: Complete every section carefully

1. Use your legal name exactly as on your license and NPI.
2. List practice locations the way you want them to appear in payer directories. If you work from home, don’t list your home as a public location unless you intend to.
3. Answer disclosure questions honestly and completely.
4. Make sure your NPI, tax ID, and addresses match NPPES, the IRS, and (if applicable) the Secretary of State.

Step 4: Upload documents and authorize payers

Upload the supporting documents CAQH requests. Then go to the authorization section and either allow all participating payers or select specific ones. A payer generally can’t see your profile unless you’ve authorized it.

Step 5: Attest, then re-attest every 120 days

Attestation is you confirming the profile is accurate. CAQH’s quick reference guide says you’ll be prompted to re-attest at least every 120 days. Put a recurring reminder on your calendar. Expired attestation is one of the most common reasons credentialing files stall.

Step 6: Keep documents current

When your malpractice renews, your license renews, or you change addresses, update CAQH and re-attest. Then notify each payer of the change through their own process. CAQH updates don’t always replace a payer’s required change forms.

Common CAQH mistakes

• Letting attestation lapse.
• Expired malpractice certificate on file.
• Work history gaps without explanation.
• Locations that don’t match what you submitted to the payer.
• Forgetting to authorize the payer you just applied to.

How CAQH fits into your launch timeline

Build CAQH first, before you apply to any commercial payer, because most applications ask for your CAQH ID and payers won’t move until your profile is complete and attested. If you’re still employed and planning to leave, you can set up CAQH early with your current information and update it when your practice address and entity are ready.

A 15-minute CAQH maintenance routine

1. Log in when the re-attestation reminder arrives (or on your own calendar reminder).
2. Check your malpractice certificate and license expiration dates.
3. Confirm locations, phone, and hours are still accurate.
4. Review your payer authorizations and add any new payer you’ve applied to.
5. Attest and note the date in your credentialing tracker.

Keep your data safe

Your CAQH profile holds sensitive personal information. Use a strong, unique password with multi-factor authentication if available, don’t share your login, and don’t email exports or screenshots of your profile. When you work with me, we never need your CAQH login or exports; we work from checklists.