Medicare Advantage plans to share provider directories under CMS final rule

Dive Brief:

Seniors shopping between Medicare Advantage plans will soon have clearer data about payers’ provider networks under a rule the CMS finalized Thursday.

Regulators are requiring MA plans to directly disclose their provider directories on Medicare Plan Finder for 2027 open enrollment, in a bid to help seniors make more informed decisions about which plan best meets their needs.

The policy was originally proposed by the Biden administration in November, but comes amid a larger push for more transparency around payers’ provider networks from health officials in the Trump regime. A separate CMS rule will populate Plan Finder with provider directory data from a third-party vendor for 2026 open enrollment this fall.

Dive Insight:

Regulators in the Biden administration drafted a