Physician Compare Initiative

Welcome to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Compare Initiative webpage. This page is intended to inform physicians and other healthcare professionals about the Physician Compare website. Currently this page has basic information about Physician Compare as well as important news. Soon it will include helpful resources and information related to Physician Compare, an overview of the information currently available on the site, and plans for public reporting of quality of care data on the site.

What is Physician Compare?

Physician Compare (http://www.medicare.gov/find-a-doctor) is a website created by CMS to allow consumers to search for physicians and other healthcare professionals enrolled in the Medicare program, in accordance with Section 10331 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The purpose of Physician Compare is to help consumers make informed choices about healthcare they receive through Medicare.

Currently, Physician Compare allows users to find basic information including:

o Physicians’ and other healthcare professionals’ names, addresses, phone numbers, specialties, clinical training, and genders
o If physicians and other healthcare professionals speak languages other than English
o The hospitals with which physicians and other healthcare professionals are affiliated
o If physicians and other healthcare professionals are accepting new Medicare patients
o If physicians and other healthcare professionals accept the Medicare-approved amount, billing no more than the Medicare deductible and coinsurance
o Information about physicians and other healthcare professionals who participate in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and/or the Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program

Consumers will be able to select physicians and other healthcare professionals based on robust and reliable quality of care data to be added no earlier than 2014.

Important News about Physician Compare:

• COMING SOON: Physician Compare Redesign

In a continued effort to improve Physician Compare and to prepare the site for the eventual inclusion of quality of care information, CMS is currently in the process of completing a Physician Compare website redesign. The redesign will improve the underlying database and information on Physician Compare, as well as enhance the ease of use and functionality of the site. CMS will unveil the redesigned site in early 2013. Please check back for more information as it becomes available.

• Thank You for Your Feedback!

In early January, CMS provided an opportunity for feedback on the Physician Compare redesign. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and submitted written feedback on the pre-recorded Webinar and accompanying materials regarding the Physician Compare redesign and plans for public reporting on the site. CMS will take all feedback into consideration, as feasible, for future releases of Physician Compare. As Physician Compare grows and evolves, CMS will maintain an open dialogue and continue to offer other opportunities to share information.

Contact Physician Compare

You may email feedback and questions to the Physician Compare team at PhysicianCompare@westat.com