HealthCare.gov Pilots New Doctor Lookup Feature

From HealthCare.gov:

Beginning today, HealthCare.gov is piloting a new beta feature that allows consumers to search plans by their preferred provider or health facility. Some consumers will be part of a pilot that allows them to use the beta Doctor Lookup feature as they compare their coverage options in window shopping or when selecting a plan.
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This phased-in approach will reach about one in four visitors to HealthCare.gov – selected at random – allowing us to examine the consumer experience with the feature and to analyze the quality of the data based on consumer feedback as we finalize the feature and determine how best to meet consumer needs. I
[Our emphasis] In this early stage, some data will be missing or may be inaccurate.
As of today, HealthCare.gov has access to data from over 90 percent of insurance companies on the Marketplace. If an insurance company has not provided validated data, consumers will be alerted when they search for a provider that there is “no data from insurance company.” CMS will continue to provide technical assistance to insurance companies that have not yet provided access to their data and will update HealthCare.gov on a daily basis.
Consumers are reminded that health plans can change which doctors and facilities are in their network on a continual basis and providers can change locations and affiliations frequently. That is why we’re encouraging consumers to check with their doctor or plan to confirm that the doctor accepts that plan. Consumers will be asked to opt-in to use the tool to be sure they understand limitations with the data and will be able to leave comments directly through the site.

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