Enhancing health information

Columbus Dispatch: When choosing or using health-insurance plans, it is vital that consumers be able to see which doctors and hospitals are included in a plan’s provider network.

But it’s often not so simple, because many network directories are incomplete, confusing or outdated. Doctors and other medical providers join or drop out of plans. And in some physician practices, clinics and hospitals, one provider might be in a plan while another is not.

Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, who heads the state’s Department of Insurance, has decided a few ground rules are badly needed. So she has drafted six pages of plain-spoken requirements for health-insurance companies.

NEW REQUIREMENTS

She would require provider directories to be clear, up-to-date and searchable by specialty. A directory would have to be posted online — making updates simple — and also available in a paper copy. The online directory couldn’t require enrollees to login or provide a member or group identification number for access. The information posted isn’t top secret, and these hurdles are frustrating.

Taylor’s work will be a tremendous help to consumers, allowing them to get information quickly and ensuring it is accurate.