Search
 

'Ghost providers' haunt health plan directories for years, Pennsylvania officials say

A team of investigators found that health plans corrected or removed just 38% of the inaccurate entries within about a year, instead of 90 days required by federal law.

By Allison Bell | November 25, 2024 at 12:00 AM
Credit: Dave Berkebile/Thinkstock

Pennsylvania health plans are still having a hard time identifying and correcting online provider directory entries quickly, even though federal law requires them to update their directories every 90 days.

The Pennsylvania Department of Insurance says a “secret shopper” survey it commissioned found that about 62% of the 1,802 inaccurate entries the shoppers found in 2022 were still wrong when the shoppers reviewed the entries again, in late 2023 and early 2024.

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

BenefitsPRO

Join BenefitsPRO

Don’t miss crucial news and insights you need to navigate the shifting employee benefits industry. Join BenefitsPRO.com now!

  • Unlimited access to BenefitsPRO.com - your roadmap to thriving in a disrupted environment
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including ThinkAdvisor.com and Law.com
  • Exclusive discounts on BenefitsPRO.com and ALM events.

Already have an account? Sign In Now
Join BenefitsPRO

Copyright © 2024 ALM Global, LLC. All Rights Reserved.