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SPECIFICTION
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Medicare Care Compare

medicare.gov

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Spec score 7.5 #7 of 16 in Healthcare Provider Directories

What it is

Medicare Care Compare is a free web tool for finding and comparing Medicare providers. Medicare patients and caregivers can search for clinicians and groups enrolled in Medicare, then use maps and filters to look for providers that suit their needs. Listings span doctors and clinicians, hospitals, nursing homes, home health and hospice services, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, long-term care hospitals, dialysis facilities, community health centers, and medical equipment and suppliers. Clinician profiles may show measure-level star ratings, performance scores, check marks, telehealth indicators, and procedure-volume data. Nursing home overall ratings draw on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures; CMS reports more than 150 hospital quality measures through Care Compare and the Provider Data Catalog. General clinician and group information is updated monthly, while performance information is updated annually. Provider data downloads are available through the Provider Data Catalog on Data.cms.gov. Hospital data in Care Compare is limited to Medicare-certified hospitals. The interface is described as optimized for mobile and tablet use, with provider phone numbers that can be tapped to call.

Spec sheet

Purpose
Care Compare lets people find and compare Medicare providers and use maps and filters to identify providers that may fit their needs.Read 30 Sep 2026 · medicare.gov
Headquarters
Baltimore, Maryland, United StatesRead 28 Sep 2026 · medicare.gov
Clinician information
Clinician profiles can include measure-level star ratings, performance scores, check marks, telehealth indicators, and procedure-volume data.Read 30 Sep 2026 · cms.gov
Clinician search audience
Medicare patients and caregivers can search for and compare clinicians and groups enrolled in Medicare.Read 30 Sep 2026 · cms.gov
Data downloads
Users looking to explore and download provider data are directed to the Provider Data Catalog on Data.cms.gov.Read 30 Sep 2026 · medicare.gov
Data sources
Clinician performance information comes from the Quality Payment Program, while general profile information primarily comes from PECOS and may be verified using claims data.Read 30 Sep 2026 · cms.gov
Data update cadence
Clinician and group general information is updated monthly, while performance information is updated annually.Read 30 Sep 2026 · cms.gov
Downloadable clinician data
The Provider Data Catalog includes clinician demographic, MIPS performance, final-score, performance-category, and procedure-volume data files.Read 30 Sep 2026 · cms.gov
Hospital data
CMS reports more than 150 hospital quality measures through Care Compare and the Provider Data Catalog.Read 30 Sep 2026 · cms.gov
Limit
Only data from Medicare-certified hospitals are included in Care Compare.Read 30 Sep 2026 · cms.gov
Maps and filters
Medicare says users can use maps and filters to identify providers that are right for them.Read 30 Sep 2026 · medicare.gov
Platform experience
CMS describes the Care Compare interface as optimized for mobile and tablet use, including provider phone numbers that can be tapped to initiate calls.Read 30 Sep 2026 · cms.gov
Provider ratings
Nursing home overall ratings are based on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures.Read 30 Sep 2026 · medicare.gov
Provider types
The tool lists doctors and clinicians, hospitals, nursing homes, home health services, hospice care, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, long-term care hospitals, dialysis facilities, community health centers, and medical equipment and suppliers.Read 30 Sep 2026 · medicare.gov
Security and privacy
The Medicare site provides links to its Privacy Policy and privacy settings from Care Compare pages.Read 30 Sep 2026 · medicare.gov

Plans and prices

Free Free Public provider search and comparison tool Read 30 Sep 2026 · medicare.gov

Every Medicare Care Compare plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free public provider search and comparison.
  • Lists a broad range of provider types.
  • Maps and filters help narrow provider searches.
  • Clinician profiles can include ratings and performance data.
  • Mobile- and tablet-optimized interface.

Limits

  • Hospital data covers only Medicare-certified hospitals.
  • Clinician performance information updates annually.

Who it suits

It suits Medicare patients and caregivers comparing enrolled clinicians or other Medicare provider types. People looking to explore or download provider data can use the Provider Data Catalog.

Verdict

Care Compare brings multiple Medicare provider types and clinician profile details into a free web search. Note the hospital-data limit and annual cadence for clinician performance information.

Where Specifiction places it

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