Provider Directory
What is a provider directory?
A provider directory is a comprehensive list of physicians, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers that are included within a specific health insurance plan or healthcare network. Some of the information commonly listed in the provider directory includes location, specialty, hospital affiliations, phone number, and openness to accepting new patients.
When healthcare providers request to join a health plan network, they must complete the provider credentialing and payor enrollment process, during which the health plan asks for their contact information, practice location, and academic qualifications. This information is then used to populate the provider directory.
The provider directory makes it easier for patients to choose a doctor while also encouraging physicians to refer patients to in-network physicians, reducing referral leakage.
What are the benefits of being in a provider directory?
A provider directory often offers participating providers a good source of new patients, as it allows those providers to be easily found by patients. Since many patients seek out providers in this manner, the increased visibility often leads to higher patient volume.
Provider directories are also important resources for network management and referral management. They allow a provider to see who else is in the network, which encourages them to refer patients within the network. On the flip side, by being in a provider directory, a provider can expect referrals from other providers in the health network.