CAQH for Doulas — Made Simple
- Lorie Michaels, CD(DONA), PMH-C, CLC, EBB Inst.
- 16 hours ago
- 3 min read
If you’ve opened the CAQH application and immediately thought,“None of these options apply to me…”you are absolutely not alone.
CAQH was designed for medical providers—physicians, nurses, therapists—not for doulas.And yet, many doulas now need a CAQH profile to work with Medicaid and insurance systems.
This guide will walk you through what to select, what to skip, and how to get through this process without overthinking every field.
🌿 What is CAQH (and why do doulas need it)?
CAQH (Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare) is a centralized system used by insurance companies and Medicaid programs to verify provider information.
Even though doulas are non-clinical providers, some systems still require:
a CAQH profile
a CAQH ID number
and regular attestation of your information
⚠️ This System Was Not Built for Doulas
You will see:
medical language that doesn’t apply to you
categories that don’t include doulas
questions about prescribing, hospital privileges, and clinical care
👉 You are not doing anything wrong.👉 You are translating your role into a system that wasn’t designed for it.
🧠 Before You Start (Privacy + Setup)
Because CAQH is a public-facing provider database, your information may be visible.
If you want to protect your privacy:
Set up a PO Box with a street-style address (USPS street addressing)
Use a business phone number (Google Voice works well and is free)
Consider using an EIN instead of your SSN
🔑 The Most Important Tip
👉 Only complete fields with a red asterisk (*)
If it doesn’t have a red star:Skip it.
This will save you a significant amount of time and frustration.
🧩 The First Question (Where Everyone Gets Stuck)
This is the question that tends to throw everything off.
NUCC Grouping
Select: Nursing Service Related Providers
Provider Type
Select: Provider Type Not Listed
Practice Setting
Select: Inpatient/Outpatient or Outpatient Only
Primary Practice State
Select your state
💡 These selections allow the system to accept your profile, even though doulas are not explicitly listed.
📌 Example from a Completed Doula Profile
NUCC Grouping: Nursing Service Related Providers
Provider Type: Provider Type Not Listed
Practice Setting: Inpatient/Outpatient or Outpatient Only
Primary Practice State: RI
🧾 You Will Need an NPI First
Before completing CAQH, you’ll need a Type 1 (Individual) NPI number.
If you don’t have one yet, start there first—this is required for CAQH.
🚫 Sections You Can Skip or Answer “No”
You’ll see questions about:
DEA registration
prescribing authority
hospital admitting privileges
For doulas:
You do not prescribe medications
You do not need DEA/CDS registration
You typically do not have hospital privileges
➡️ Select “No” where required
➡️ Skip anything not required
🏢 Practice Location
You are allowed to list:
your mailing/business address
a home office (if needed)
or a PO Box with a street-style address
👉 Many doulas choose this option to protect their privacy.
You do not need:
a clinical office
exam rooms
medical equipment
💡 Important: Some insurance systems are designed for clinical providers and may interpret this as a physical practice location. For doulas, this functions as your business contact address.
📚 Specialty Section
If available, select:
Doula (374J00000X)
If not available, go back to step one and ensure you've chosen Nursing Service Related Providers for your NUCC grouping.
📞 The Attestation Step
At the end of your application, you will:
review your information
attest that it is accurate
This step generates your:👉 CAQH ID number (you're going to need this repeatedly, so save it!)
🔄 Reattestation (Don’t Skip This)
You must reattest your profile every 120 days.
If you don’t:
your profile becomes inactive
insurance systems may not be able to use your information
🧡 Final Thoughts
This process can feel frustrating because:
you’re being asked to fit into a clinical system
while doing deeply relational, non-clinical work
You are not doing this wrong.
You are helping build access—for yourself, and for the families you support.
✨ Quick Checklist
✔️ NPI number completed
✔️ Privacy setup (PO Box, phone, EIN if desired)
✔️ Only required fields completed
✔️ Correct selections made:
Nursing Service Related Providers
Provider Type Not Listed
Outpatient setting
✔️ Profile attested
🤍 Need Support?
If you’re feeling stuck, you’re not alone—this process often takes a few passes before it clicks.
Support, clarity, and community matter here too.
