California signed a provider-directory law: five ways to verify in-network care

What California changed—and when it starts

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on September 27 that he signed Assembly Bill 280, a provider-directory law aimed at the inaccurate or unavailable listings often called ghost networks. The enrolled bill directs the Department of Managed Health Care to select a central directory utility, requires plans and insurers to compare their directories against it, and strengthens protections when a member reasonably relies on inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information. The bill says plans and health insurers must comply with its new requirements beginning July 1, 2027. That future date matters: the signing does not mean every directory has already been rebuilt, and it does not make every provider or service in-network. Existing California and federal directory protections still apply in the meantime.

Who this guide is for

This guide is for Californians choosing a clinician, therapist, laboratory, imaging center, pharmacy or other covered health-care provider—and for anyone who has called a listing only to learn that the office has moved, left the network or stopped accepting new patients. AB 280 applies to health care service plans and health insurers governed by the California statutes it amends; employer self-funded plans, Medicare and other coverage arrangements can follow different oversight routes. Check the plan name and regulator on your member card or plan documents before filing a complaint. A directory is a starting point, not a diagnosis, referral or promise that a particular service is covered.

1. Search the exact plan product, provider and location

Begin with the public directory for the exact network and product printed on your member card—not merely the insurance company’s brand name. Match the provider’s full name, practice address, phone number, specialty, facility and, when shown, California license number or National Provider Identifier. Confirm whether the listing says the provider accepts new patients and whether a referral or authorization is required. Save a dated screenshot or PDF of the result and note the directory’s most recent update date. A clinician can participate at one office or under one product but not another, so a result for the wrong location or network is not enough.

2. Ask the health plan for written confirmation

Call the member-services number on the card or use the plan’s secure electronic contact and ask a specific question: “Is this provider, at this address, in-network for this service under my exact plan, and are they accepting new patients?” Ask for the answer in writing and keep the reference number, date and representative’s name. AB 280 says that beginning July 1, 2027, a regulated plan or insurer must check both network status and new-patient availability and send a written or electronic response within one or two business days, depending on the regulator and contact channel; it must retain the exchange for at least two years. Until then, requesting and saving written confirmation is still the clearest record of what the plan told you.

3. Confirm the same details with the provider

Call the provider’s billing or scheduling office and name the exact plan product, network, service and location. Ask whether the individual professional and the facility are both in-network, whether the office is accepting new patients, whether a referral or prior authorization is needed, and which laboratories, imaging centers or other vendors might bill separately. Saying an office “takes” or “accepts” an insurance company can mean it will submit a claim; it does not necessarily mean the office has an in-network contract for your product. Record the person’s name and the date, but treat the plan’s written network confirmation and your coverage documents as the controlling insurance sources.

4. Use timely-access rules when the directory leads nowhere

If listed offices are unavailable or cannot offer an appointment within the applicable timeframe, call the plan and ask it to arrange care with another appropriate provider. The DMHC says regulated plans must help members get an appointment with another appropriate provider, in or out of network, when timely in-network care is unavailable. Current California standards vary by need: for example, the DMHC lists 10 business days for a nonurgent primary-care or nonphysician mental-health appointment and 15 business days for nonurgent specialist care. A clinician can request a faster appointment when medically necessary. These access rules are separate from AB 280 and can matter now; if symptoms are urgent, use appropriate urgent or emergency care rather than waiting on a directory dispute.

5. Preserve the record, report the error and escalate

Keep the screenshot, written confirmation, call log, referral or authorization, bill and explanation of benefits together. Report an inaccurate listing through the plan’s directory-reporting link, email or phone number and file a grievance if the error affects access or cost. AB 280’s 2027 provisions require investigation and correction of reported inaccuracies and add state hold-harmless protections when a regulator finds that a member reasonably relied on bad directory information for a covered service. Federal No Surprises Act protections can also limit cost sharing when inaccurate plan information leads to out-of-network care. If the plan does not resolve the issue, start with the regulator named in the plan documents: the DMHC Help Center handles most California managed-care plans, the California Department of Insurance handles many insurance policies, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s EBSA assists with many private-employer self-funded plans. NOCTI is an independent wellness-discovery directory, not a health-plan network or regulator; its profiles cannot confirm insurance coverage or replace official license and plan checks.

Sources

• Governor of California: AB 280 included in September 27, 2026 legislative action ↗
• California Legislative Information: enrolled AB 280 provider-directory text and July 1, 2027 compliance date ↗
• California Department of Managed Health Care: timely-access standards and complaint entry point ↗
• California Department of Managed Health Care: how to contact a plan and escalate a complaint ↗
• California Department of Insurance: consumer health inquiries and complaints ↗
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: action plan for checking whether a provider is in-network ↗
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: provider-directory and cost-sharing protections under the No Surprises Act ↗
• U.S. Department of Labor: filing health-benefit claims and contacting an EBSA benefits adviser ↗