Primary Source Verification
Verification of a provider's credentials directly from the issuing source (e.g., medical school, residency, state licensing board).
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- Enrollment
- Primary sources
- 1
- Workspace handoff
- compliance binder →
Where this comes up
Credentialing and revenue-cycle staff handle this — CAQH ProView upkeep, payer-roster validation, NPI maintenance, PECOS revalidation cycles, and the gap between application and effective date that strands new providers. Lapses here block payment until backdated re-enrollment closes the gap.
Full definition
What it is in practice
NCQA and URAC standards (and most payer credentialing manuals) require PSV for medical school, residency, board certification, license, and DEA. Hospital medical-staff bylaws typically do as well.
How it shows up in your practice
Use a credentialing verification organization (CVO) when staffing is tight. PSV documentation lives in the provider's credentialing file for the duration of participation.
Sources
- CAQH — Provider Data Portalhttps://www.caqh.org/solutions/credentialing
Store PSV documents in the Compliance Binder
Open compliance binder →Related terms
- EnrollmentCredentialingThe process by which a payer verifies a provider's qualifications and grants participation in the network.
- EnrollmentCAQH CredentialingThe CAQH ProView database used by most commercial payers to credential providers.
- EnrollmentDeactivationRemoval of a provider from Medicare's enrollment file, typically for failing to revalidate, billing inactivity, or final adverse action.
D3rx is a healthcare-billing and compliance research aid maintained by D3rx Inc. Articles are drafted by an LLM (Anthropic Claude) against primary HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and state-regulator publications, and reviewed for restraint and source fidelity by the D3rx team.
Reviewer status: a named credentialed reviewer (CHC, CHPC, or healthcare attorney) is being engaged. Until that engagement is finalized, this page does not claim credentialed review.
Related across the archive
- GlossaryCAQH CredentialingThe CAQH ProView database used by most commercial payers to credential providers.
- GlossaryCredentialingThe process by which a payer verifies a provider's qualifications and grants participation in the network.
- GlossaryDeactivationRemoval of a provider from Medicare's enrollment file, typically for failing to revalidate, billing inactivity, or final adverse action.
- GlossaryHospital CredentialingThe process by which a hospital medical staff verifies and grants privileges to a physician.
- GlossaryRecredentialingThe periodic re-verification of provider credentials, typically every three years for most commercial payers.
- RegulationCMS-855A: Medicare Enrollment for Institutional ProvidersMedicare enrollment application for institutional providers including hospitals, CAHs, hospices, home health agencies, federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, and similar entities.
- RegulationCMS-855B: Medicare Enrollment Application for Clinics and Group PracticesThe Medicare enrollment application for clinics, group practices, and certain other suppliers — the primary enrollment vehicle for medical practices that bill Part B.
- RegulationCMS-855I: Medicare Enrollment Application for Individual Physicians and Non-Physician PractitionersIndividual Medicare enrollment vehicle for physicians, NPPs, and certain other individual suppliers; required for any clinician billing Medicare under their own name.
This glossary entry is a research aid for billing and compliance staff. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice and does not replace counsel. References cited link to primary sources at HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and the relevant payer or industry body.