MA Plan Finder: Technical Guidance and Timeline Explainer
** This post was updated on 2/27/2026 to reflect CMS’s final technical guidance and timelines On November 7 2025, CMS released a
Author: Ron Urwongse
REAL Health Providers Act passed
The REAL Health Providers Act was passed as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed by President Trump on February 3, 2026.
MA Plan Finder: A Dress Rehearsal for National Provider Directory
On September 19, 2025, CMS issued a Final Rule requiring Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to submit provider directory data to CMS in
SMART Scheduling Links at the HL7 FHIR Connectathon
Special thanks to Adam Culbertson, Cooper Thompson, Josh Mandel, and Brandon LaRue for fact checking historical details and providing general input into
National Provider Directory Accuracy: July 2025 Report
Despite investing millions in master data management, data cleanup, and syndicating data through APIs and online directories, payers often lack an understanding
CMS Health Tech Ecosystem RFI: National Directory Comments
In its recent Request for Information (RFI) on the Health Tech Ecosystem, CMS posed questions about the value and feasibility of a
How will the CMS National Directory affect health plans?
CMS announced on June 3, 2025 plans to build a National Directory of Healthcare (NDH). While the directory’s long-term vision includes both
Notes from the CMS and ASTP/ONC RFI Meeting in Washington, DC
I attended the CMS and ASTP/ONC RFI meeting, which drew 300+ participants from across the healthcare industry. Participants included tech vendors, providers,
VA and CMS: Fixing Provider Directories Together
In the past week, the federal government released two Requests for Information (RFIs): one from CMS seeking input on the Health Technology Ecosystem and
Empowering Patient Choice with Payer and Provider Data
Special thanks to Aneesh Chopra, Chief Strategy Officer at Arcadia; Ryan Howells, Principal at Leavitt Partners; Eric Ellsworth, Director of Health Data