Legislature Sends AB 280 Provider Directory Reform to Governor Newsom

The bill was a priority for health care consumer advocates and legislators after years hearing from Californians facing difficulty finding in-network care

SACRAMENTO, CA – Health Access California applauded the California Legislature’s final passage of AB 280 (Aguiar-Curry), legislation aimed at fixing a problem familiar to millions of Californians: health plan provider directories filled with inaccurate or outdated information. The bill now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature.

“After two years of hard work, I’m so grateful to see AB 280 make it through the Legislature. Californians shouldn’t have to jump through hoops or make a dozen phone calls just to find a doctor who will see them. If your health plan says a doctor is in-network, you should be able to trust that information is accurate. Health insurance is meaningless if you can’t access the care you’re paying for,” said Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), the bill’s author. “This bill is a common-sense fix to a problem that’s been frustrating families for far too long. I’m proud of the work we’ve done and I’m thankful to everyone who helped get this bill to the Governor’s desk.”

“Having health coverage doesn’t mean much if you can’t actually find a doctor who will see you,” said Katie Van Deynze, Senior Policy & Legislative Advocate at Health Access California. “Californians shouldn’t have to call doctor after doctor only to find disconnected numbers, providers who have moved or retired, or offices that don’t actually accept their insurance. California now has the opportunity to make sure patients can trust the information about their health plans if this bill becomes law.”

California health plans have been required for nearly a decade to maintain accurate provider directories, yet significant errors and inaccuracies persist. Consumers routinely encounter providers who are no longer in-network, aren’t accepting new patients, have incorrect contact information, or are otherwise unavailable. Directory error rates for many plans have been found to range from 20 to 30 percent, with substantially higher rates reported in some circumstances.

AB 280 would help fix the problem by:

• Creating and requiring that health plans and providers use a centralized system for providers to update and verify their information in one place.
• Requiring health plans to maintain a directory consistent with information from the centralized system that is being updated and checked for accuracy. 
• Requiring providers to confirm and update their information when it changes within 30 days of any change.
• Requiring additional review of directories to identify incomplete or inconsistent information.
• Protecting consumers from out-of-network costs when they reasonably rely on inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete directory information.

“Patients shouldn’t have to become investigators just to find a doctor,” Van Deynze said. “The Legislature has sent Governor Newsom an opportunity to solve a frustrating and all-too-common problem for California patients. We urge Governor Newsom to sign AB 280 and ensure Californians can find the care they need, when they need it.”

Governor Newsom has until September 30, 2026 to take action on all legislation pending on his desk. 

Media Contact:

Rachel Linn Gish, rlinngish@health-access.org

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