Some large insurers struggle with accurate provider directories

Earlier this year, Kaiser Health News reported on a study conducted on provider directories. People posing as patients called provider offices to try to make appointments with providers using information listed in the directories of some large insurers. The study found that the callers could only schedule an appointment with a primary care doctor less than 30 percent of the time.

Somewhat alarming is that about a third of the time, callers were told that the doctors' specialty information was listed incorrectly. A reasonable case can be made for how difficult it can be to update changing information such as whether a doctor is accepting new patients and even phone numbers, but doctors' specialties do not change that frequently.

The insurers were fined what seemed like relatively small fines for the size of their operations. This summer, a new law in California took effect, requiring insurers to update their directories more frequently. It'll be interesting to see whether such the government will effectively enforce such regulation.