CAQH, which rebranded as DataSpring in 2026, runs the free Provider Data Portal that most commercial plans use to credential counselors. Your profile needs your NPI, every state license, education, practice locations, malpractice coverage, work history and disclosures, plus plan authorizations. You must re-attest every 120 days.
When a commercial plan credentials you, it rarely asks you to fill out its own long application from scratch. It asks for your CAQH ID, then pulls your education, licenses, work history, malpractice coverage and disclosures from a profile you maintain once. Keep that profile accurate and current, and applications to new plans move. Let it go stale, and every plan waits on you.
Is it CAQH or DataSpring now?
Both names are in use. CAQH announced its rebrand as DataSpring in June 2026, and caqh.org now redirects to dataspring.com, which describes itself as "DataSpring, powered by CAQH." The login for clinicians still runs through the familiar proview.caqh.org address, and the clinician product is the Provider Data Portal (what most counselors still call ProView). Plans and colleagues will keep saying "CAQH" for a long while; it is the same profile.
Two facts did not change. DataSpring says the platform is provided at no cost to clinicians, and profiles are maintained on a 120-day attestation cycle.
What does a counselor's profile need?
Identity and NPI
Your legal name exactly as on your license, your Type 1 NPI, and your taxonomy. Check that the taxonomy in NPPES matches what you list, and that it describes mental health counseling. If you plan to enroll in Medicare, CMS identifies 101YM0800X as the Mental Health Counselor taxonomy.
Every license, every state
List each active counseling license with its number, issue date and expiration date, and upload a copy. Include licenses in states where you only do telehealth. Plans credential by state, and a plan in one state will look for the license there.
Counseling Compact privileges are newer than most credentialing workflows. The Compact Commission itself says insurance company policies on privileges are still uncertain. If you hold a privilege, record it however the portal allows, keep the CompactConnect record handy as proof, and ask each plan how it treats privileges before you assume it will accept one in place of a license. More in credentialing in multiple states.
Education and training
Your graduate degree, program, dates and whether the program was CACREP accredited if the portal asks. Some plans look for it.
Practice locations
Every address where you see clients, including a home office used only for telehealth. Plans use these for directories, so set the directory display preferences carefully if your home address should not be public.
Malpractice coverage
Current certificate, carrier, limits and dates. Coverage dates that lapse are the most common reason a profile becomes "incomplete" without you noticing. If you practice in more than one state, make sure the certificate shows coverage that applies there; see malpractice for multistate counselors.
Work history and gaps
Plans generally want a continuous work history and an explanation of gaps beyond a few months. Parental leave, graduate school and relocation are ordinary explanations; write them down rather than leaving a blank.
Disclosure questions and authorization
Answer the disclosure questions honestly and consistently with your license applications, and authorize the plans you are applying to so they can view the profile. A profile a plan is not authorized to see does nothing.
What is the 120-day attestation?
Every 120 days you confirm the profile is still accurate. Miss it and plans see your profile as not current, which can stall an application or a re-credentialing. White Glove Credentialing has a short piece on the 120-day reattestation. Setting a recurring reminder is the whole trick.
Does CAQH matter for Medicare?
Traditional Medicare enrollment runs through PECOS, not CAQH. Medicare Advantage plans are commercial insurers and usually do use your CAQH profile. See our PECOS walkthrough for the Medicare side.
Who keeps it current?
You can, in about twenty minutes every four months. If you would rather hand profile maintenance and plan applications to someone, that is a service of our sister company White Glove Credentialing. What we do is keep the licenses that the profile lists current and renewed; our annual renewal and CE compliance service is on the pricing page.
Common questions
- Is CAQH still free for counselors after the DataSpring rebrand?
- Yes. DataSpring says the platform is provided at no cost to clinicians. The clinician login still runs through proview.caqh.org.
- How often do I have to attest my CAQH profile?
- Every 120 days. If you miss it, plans see the profile as not current, which can stall new applications and re-credentialing.
- Should I list my Counseling Compact privilege in CAQH?
- Record it if the portal allows and keep your CompactConnect record as proof, but ask each plan how it treats privileges. The Compact Commission says insurer policies on privileges are still uncertain.
- Do I need CAQH for Medicare?
- Not for traditional Medicare, which uses PECOS. Medicare Advantage plans are private insurers and commonly use your CAQH profile.
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We handle the counselor licensing process end-to-end — eligibility screening, documents, board follow-ups, and tracking.