Physician Compare Web Site

As a part of the Affordable Care Act, CMS must develop a Physician Compare Internet website with demographic and performance information on physicians enrolled in the Medicare program. The AMCNO commented to CMS that as we have been working on legislation in Ohio to address the issue of physician ranking by insurance companies we have stressed the importance to provide patients with accurate information when selecting a physician. We believe that the crux of the issue is to balance the rights of physicians to have accurate and relevant reporting of their practice with the desire of consumers to have access to information about their treating physician. We strongly urged CMS to assure that the physician information provided to the public on the website is based on quality data versus cost and claims data, and that the data is accurate. The AMCNO also urged CMS to provide physicians with the ability to appeal their data prior to posting any information on the website. The AMCNO further offered to work with CMS to ensure that public reporting of performance information is accurate, relevant and useful to patients.