Verifying your identity as a Headway client

When you visit a doctor's office in person, you show your ID at the front desk. Identity verification is the telehealth version of that step. You'll take a photo of a government-issued ID and a brief live photo — moving your head side to side so we can confirm a real person is on the other side of the camera — all within your Headway account. It takes about 2–3 minutes to be verified.

Who this applies to: Right now, identity verification is required if you see a prescriber on Headway. If you only see a talk therapist, you don't need to verify today. Once verified, you're verified — it doesn't repeat per appointment or per provider, and it stays valid until the ID you used expires.

Why we do this

Telehealth has become a target for real fraud: people seeking prescriptions under someone else's identity, insurance used for appointments that never happened, and AI tools good enough to impersonate a real person on a video call. 

No single rule requires this today, but regulation is clearly heading here, and we'd rather build it carefully now than rush it under a deadline.

What this does for you: Your care, prescriptions, and billing are tied to you and only you. If someone ever tries to get medication or run up charges in your name, verification is what stops them. If you've ever had your identity or insurance misused, you know why that matters.

Identity verification must be completed by you personally. For minors, a parent or legal guardian completes the process on the client's behalf.

What we store and who sees it: Verification runs through a HIPAA-compliant identity partner. Your ID photos and live photo are only used for identity verification — never for marketing, product development, or anything else. Headway keeps a limited, encrypted identity record, and every access to it is logged.

How it works

Want to see what the process looks like before you start? Take a visual walkthrough 

What you’ll need

Before starting, have the following ready:

• A supported government-issued photo ID (see list below)
• A device with a working camera (smartphone recommended)
• 2 - 3 minutes in a well-lit location
   

Accepted forms of identification

• U.S. Driver's License
• U.S. Passport
• U.S. Passport Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• Acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)

When you’ll be asked to verify your identity

If you’re a new client booking with a prescriber

• You may be prompted to verify your identity when you set-up your account and/or while booking your session.
• You'll receive email reminders letting you know that identity verification is required before your appointment.
  • If you booked the appointment: identity verification must be complete before your provider's cancellation window, or your appointment will be automatically canceled. You'll be able to rebook once verification is complete.
  • If your provider booked the appointment: identity verification must be complete for your provider to confirm the session.
     

If you’re an existing client who is seeing a prescriber

• You may complete identity verification at any time by visiting headway.co/account/verify-identity/confirmation

• Your provider may also reach out to you directly to remind you, if needed.
  • If you booked the appointment: identity verification must be complete before your provider's cancellation window, or your appointment may be automatically canceled.
  • If your provider booked the appointment: identity verification must be complete for your provider to confirm the session. Your provider can also walk you through the process during your session if needed.

If you've completed identity verification before

Identity verification is a one-time process, valid until the ID you use to verify expires. If your ID has expired or if you're prompted to re-verify, please complete the steps again.

If you try to book an appointment within your provider's cancellation window before completing identity verification, you'll need to complete verification first.

Verification steps

Once you start identity verification, you’ll be guided through the process:

1. Select the country that your ID is from
2. Take a photo of the front of your ID
3. Take a photo of the back of your ID

4. Take a brief live photo — you'll move your head side to side. Yes, it's an unusual step for a healthcare app. It's there because AI filters and deepfake tools can now fool a normal video call, and this movement confirms a real person is completing the check.

   Headway never uses this image for anything other than identity verification.

   Running into an issue? See troubleshooting steps below.

5. Once your ID is successfully uploaded, you may be asked to provide a few additional details

That's it. You're verified across every prescriber you see on Headway, and you won't be asked again until the ID you used expires.

Errors and troubleshooting

The following issues may prevent your verification from completing. All of these can be corrected and resubmitted – you have up to 5 attempts before you'll need to contact our support team for assistance. 

Troubleshooting

Issue: ID upload keeps failing, but I believe it’s valid.

• Use a mobile device, if possible. Smartphone cameras typically produce better image quality than laptop webcams. 
• Check your lighting. Find a well-lit area and make sure there’s no glare on the ID when you take the photo. Place your ID on a dark background. We’ve found that natural light works best. 
• Clean your camera lens. A smudged lens is a common cause of blurry submissions. 
• Keep the ID flat and fully in frame. Make sure the edges aren’t cropped out. Place the ID on a dark, non-reflective surface. 
• Confirm your ID type. Make sure you’re submitting an accepted ID type.
  Try the “use another device” option. If you’re on a laptop or desktop device, use the hand-off feature to take photos on your phone instead.
   

Issue: I completed verification, but my account still shows “unverified”. 

Try the following before contacting support: 

• Verification results are typically processed within a few minutes. If your status hasn't updated after 30 minutes:
  • Log out and back in to refresh your account status.
  • If the issue persists, contact Headway Support through your patient portal.
     

Issue: My appointment was canceled because of identity verification.

Try the following before contacting support:

• If your appointment was automatically canceled because verification wasn't completed in time:
  • Complete identity verification through your patient portal.
  • Once verified, you'll be able to rebook with your provider.
• Your provider will be notified of the cancellation and can help you reschedule.
   

Issue: I don’t have any of the accepted IDs. 

If you are an adult client and don't have a supported form of government-issued ID, please contact Headway support for assistance. Our team will work with you on next steps.