Verifying your identity as a Headway client

Identity verification (IDV) is a step Headway uses to confirm that you are who you say you are before receiving care. During the process, you'll take a picture of a government-issued photo ID and take a brief facial scan – all within your Headway account. The entire process typically takes 2 - 3 minutes. 

Currently, identity verification is required for patients who are seeing a prescriber on Headway. If your provider prescribes medication as part of your care, you'll be asked to verify your identity before your appointment.

Why we do this

Identity verification (IDV) confirms that the person booking, receiving care, or prescribing is who they say they are. In-person healthcare has long required patients to show ID and insurance documentation before receiving care. Telehealth has not historically had an equivalent step. As telehealth processes evolve,  that gap is one that regulators, providers, and platform operators are actively working to close.

Headway is implementing IDV to:

• Confirm identities of clients on the platform.
• Reduce the potential risk of insurance fraud and misuse of care – risks that regulators have identified as priorities.
• Keep billing, claims, and medical records accurately tied to the right person.

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

How it works

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

• While booking your session, you’ll be prompted to verify your identity. 
• You’ll receive email reminders letting you know that identity verification is required for your account before your appointment. Failure to complete this process before your provider’s cancellation window may result in automatic cancellation and associated fees.
   

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

• You’ll receive an email letting you know that identity verification is required for your account. 
• A task and banner, reminding you to verify your identity, will appear in your Headway portal. 
• Your provider may also reach out to you directly via Messages to remind you, if needed. 
   

If you've completed identity verification before

Even if you’ve previously verified your identity with Headway, you may be asked to verify again for a number of reasons, including things like updated regulatory expectations, an ID passing its expiration date, etc.. If prompted, 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. Follow the on-screen directions to complete a facial scan
   • Running into an issue? See troubleshooting steps below. 
5. Once your ID is successfully uploaded, enter some demographic information:
   • Sex assigned at birth 
   • Gender identity (optional) 
   • Pronouns (optional) 
   • Confirm your address

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. 

Try the following before contacting support: 

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.