Reported October 16, 2026: CMS proposed requiring Medicare Advantage plans to verify and update provider directories at least every 90 days and report accuracy scores. The proposal implements statutory directory requirements beginning in contract year 2028. It also proposes in-network cost-sharing protections for enrollees who receive out-of-network care after relying on inaccurate listings. This is a proposal, not an agency compliance deadline today.

DomAfina’s take: audit the listings that send patients to your agency. Check each contracted plan’s directory for the correct location, intake phone and network information. Test the published phone number. Assign one owner to submit errors, keep confirmation numbers and verify the correction appears. A directory listing is not proof of a patient’s coverage or authorization—but a wrong number can lose the referral before either is checked.

Source reviewed: CMS: October 16 Medicare Advantage and Part D Transparency Proposal. The source supports the reported update; the operational recommendations are DomAfina’s analysis.