Corrections policy
Our commitment: We correct factual errors promptly and transparently. Accuracy matters, and we take reports seriously.
What we correct
We investigate and correct verified errors in:
Facility details
- Facility name (official name as registered with Medicare)
- Address, city, or state
- Ownership type or parent company
- Medicare provider number (CCN/Provider ID)
Metrics & data
- Incorrect metric values where official sources show different numbers
- Mismatched state comparisons (e.g., facility compared to wrong state)
- Outdated data where newer official reports are available
- Calculation errors in rankings, percentiles, or deltas
Technical issues
- Broken links or missing pages
- Misdirected facility pages (wrong facility at a URL)
- Rendering or display problems that prevent reading information
What we don't correct (and why)
Unflattering but accurate data. If a metric is unfavorable but correctly reflects official government reporting, we don't change it. Our role is transparency, not reputation management.
Subjective disagreements. If you believe a comparison method is unfair or a metric doesn't capture full context, we're happy to hear your perspective, but we won't change our methodology mid-stream. Methodology concerns should be raised at [email protected].
Non-public information. We can only publish data from official government sources. If your facility has better internal numbers that aren't yet reflected in federal reporting, those will appear on our site when they appear in official datasets.
How to request a correction
Email us with these details
Send correction requests to [email protected] and include:
- Page URL: The exact page you're referencing (copy from your browser)
- What's wrong: The specific text or number that appears incorrect
- What's correct: The accurate information (if known)
- Source: A link to an official source showing the correct information (Medicare.gov, CMS data file, state government site, etc.)
- Your relationship: Are you a facility administrator, family member, patient, or general user? (Optional but helpful for context)
Important: Don't include patient information, protected health information (PHI), or other sensitive personal data in your correction request. We need only the facility-level data and source references.
What happens next
1. We investigate (within 3-5 business days)
We'll verify your report against official sources. If the error is confirmed, we'll prepare a correction for the next site build.
2. Correction flows into next update
Confirmed corrections typically appear in our next monthly refresh (first week of the month). For critical errors affecting patient safety or major factual misstatements, we may publish an expedited correction.
3. Transparency & documentation
- Material corrections (affecting multiple pages or changing methodology) are summarized in our public changelog
- Minor corrections (single facility detail fixes) are applied silently in the next build but aren't individually documented
- The "Last updated" date on corrected pages will reflect the build date when the fix was applied
4. We respond to you
If you provided contact information, we'll email you when the correction is confirmed and published. We typically respond to correction requests within 5-7 business days.
Why corrections take time
CareTransparency is a static site. We don't have databases we can edit in real-time. Corrections require:
- Verification against official sources
- Data file updates
- Full site rebuild (16,000+ pages)
- Quality checks to prevent introducing new errors
We prioritize accuracy over speed. A careful correction process prevents cascading errors that would affect multiple pages.
For facility administrators
If you're a hospital or nursing home administrator and notice outdated or incorrect information about your facility:
- First, check official sources: Medicare.gov, CMS Provider Data Catalog, and other federal sites. If the error appears there, contact CMS to correct it at the source.
- If we've made a processing error: Email us using the process above with links to the official source showing the correct data.
- For future updates: Ensure your facility reports complete and accurate data to CMS. We can only publish what federal agencies publish.
We don't offer facility-side "dashboards" or self-service correction tools. All corrections go through the verification process above to maintain independence and data integrity.
Ready to report an error?