Medicare Care Compare is a free web tool for finding and comparing providers who serve Medicare patients. Its listings cover doctors and clinicians, hospitals, nursing homes, home health and hospice services, rehabilitation and long-term care facilities, dialysis facilities, community health centers, and medical equipment suppliers. Medicare patients and caregivers can search for clinicians and groups enrolled in Medicare, using maps and filters to identify providers that may fit their needs. Clinician profiles may show measure-level star ratings, performance scores, check marks, telehealth indicators, and procedure volumes. Nursing home overall ratings use health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. CMS reports more than 150 hospital quality measures through Care Compare and its Provider Data Catalog. Clinician and group general information is updated monthly, while performance information is updated annually. For downloadable provider data, CMS directs users to the Provider Data Catalog on Data.cms.gov. The Care Compare hospital data covers Medicare-certified hospitals only. CMS describes the interface as optimized for mobile and tablet use, including tappable provider phone numbers.
Who it is for
It is intended for Medicare patients and caregivers comparing clinicians and groups, and for people looking up other listed provider types. Users seeking downloadable provider data can use the Provider Data Catalog.
What is good
- Search includes maps and filters.
- Lists a broad range of provider types.
- Clinician profiles may show ratings and performance details.
- Mobile and tablet interface includes tappable phone numbers.
What to know first
- Hospital data covers Medicare-certified hospitals only.
- Clinician performance information is updated annually.
Verdict
Care Compare offers a free way to search Medicare providers and review available profile information. Keep the hospital-data scope and annual performance-data updates in mind when comparing options.
Medicare Care Compare plans and pricing
All plansCompared on healthcare provider directories
- Free plan
- Yes
- Specialty filters
- Yes
- Organization profiles
- Yes
- API access
- Yes
