Doctor directories are hard

CMS published results of a survey to verify the accuracy of listings in the online doctor directories of some Medicare Advantage plans. Apparently, verifying information by calling doctors' offices revealed incorrect information for almost half the cases, an error rate so high that regulators are said to have been surprised. The sample seems small -- only 108 doctors -- but I am personally not surprised by the error rate.

Thinking about the logistics from the doctor's perspective, it is perhaps understandable how online doctor directories can become so out-of-date. Whenever a doctor's office moves or updates a phone number, someone generally needs to update information at multiple places (at least once per insurer). Each insurer probably has a different process, and if any process requires multiple steps, it's easy to see how information gets lost on its way to the insurers. The federal government could play a role in simplifying the process for doctors. They could offer one centralized portal where doctors can update their information (for multiple practice locations, if applicable), and indicate which insurance plan they accept at each of their locations. Such directories could be made available in machine-readable form to everyone, including insurance companies who could then import such data to populate their own directories. This would save doctors time, save insurers the hassle of prompting doctors to verify information, and benefit patients with more accurate information. Already doctors who accept insurance in the US must register for a National Provider Identifier, which could easily form the basis of this portal. Unfortunately, insurance companies would likely object to their provider networks becoming public. At this point, however, provider networks sufficiently affect the quality of the plans that they should be public so patients can more easily compare their options.