The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is moving toward a broader federal directory of hospitals and physicians in Medicare Advantage plans, a change intended to help beneficiaries confirm whether doctors and facilities are in network before they enroll.

CMS said in a Feb. 18 document, as reported by Becker’s Payer, that phase two of the effort will create a system for Medicare Advantage organizations to provide CMS directly with current information on in-network providers and facilities. Testing is scheduled for May through August, with release planned for Oct. 1. The agency said the later national directory will “serve as connective tissue between healthcare providers, payers, data networks, and their respective interoperability frameworks.”

The policy builds on Medicare Plan Finder changes rolled out for the 2026 coverage year. AARP reported that Medicare.gov began posting in-network provider directories for many Medicare Advantage plans on Oct. 1, 2025, letting consumers see whether a preferred doctor or hospital was included in a plan before selecting coverage. Previously, that information often required checking insurer websites, calling plans, or relying on brokers.

Physician groups have welcomed the transparency goal. “When choosing their Medicare plan, patients need easy access to accurate, accessible, and actionable information. Informed decision-makers have fewer regrets,” AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, M.D., said in an American Medical Association statement.

But early rollout problems have raised concerns for clinics, referral teams, and front offices. The Washington Post reported that the portal frequently produced “erroneous and conflicting information.” At the same time, CMS acknowledged in its own special-election-period notice that some provider directory information “may be incorrect, especially in this first year.”

Under CMS’s final rule, Medicare Advantage plans must submit directory data in a standardized format, update changes within 30 days of learning of them, and attest at least annually to accuracy.

For San Diego clinicians, the policy has local relevance because Scripps Clinic and Scripps Coastal stopped accepting Medicare Advantage plans beginning Jan. 1, 2024, affecting more than 32,000 Medicare Advantage HMO patients, according to NBC 7.