Senate committee advances bill to require accuracy benchmarks and penalties for health plan provider directories

Summary

The Senate Health Committee heard testimony supporting AB 280, which would require plans and providers to meet phased accuracy benchmarks for provider directories, create timelines for provider verification, permit use of a central database, and authorize penalties for noncompliance; the bill won committee approval as amended and will be referred.

AB 280, a bill aimed at improving the accuracy of health plan provider directories, advanced out of the Senate Health Committee after testimony from therapists, consumer advocates, and health-access groups about “ghost networks” that leave patients unable to find in‑network providers.

The bill would require health plans to meet increasing accuracy benchmarks that reach 95% by 2029, create timelines for providers to respond to information requests, allow plans to indicate on directories when a provider has not responded, and authorize the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) to require use of a central third‑party database. AB 280 also gives the DMHC authority to set penalties for noncompliance and requires plans that cause patients to rely on inaccurate directory information to arrange care and cover out‑of‑network costs.

The measure’s author, identified…

Senate committee advances bill to require accuracy benchmarks and penalties for health plan provider directories

Summary

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