BetterDoctor, Inc.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/11/20) */
Contact Name and Title: *** *** - Support Lead
Contact Phone: (XXX) XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: ***@betterdoctor.com
Hi REDACTED,
Thank you for your patience as I've looked into this issue, and my sincerest apologies for any
inconvenience this situation has caused youI very much appreciate you bringing it to our attention
It appears that we had your phone number on file for a number of practice locations at a large hospital network REDACTEDI am not sure how this occurredOur Data Team is looking into how your number ended up the number on file and not a general hospital phone numberDo you have any connection with REDACTED?
I have removed your phone number from our directory database altogether and replaced it with a general phone number, so you will no longer receive calls from patients looking for a doctorIt may take a week for this to fully update on our website
We do have a team making calls to verify providers' contact information, which may account for some of the calls that you were receivingThey should be honoring any request from you to stop calling, and I have discussed with the head of that team to ensure this is the case moving forward
I have verified that your phone number has been removed from our call queue, so you should no longer receive any calls from us (however, keep in mind that it may take until next week for your phone number to be completely removed from our website)Please let me know immediately if you receive a call after next week and I will look into it
Let me know if you have any other questions or concernsI certainly want to make sure this is fully resolved
All the best,
*** P
Customer Support Lead
***@betterdoctor.com
For patients: https://betterdoctor.com/
For doctors and practice staff: https://doctor.betterdoctor.com/
For developers: https://developer.betterdoctor.com/

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:I will give them the two weeks they need, starting from today's date for that website Amwell to refresh their system. They need to get in touch with Amwell to refresh their system and they need to inform them with the dispute. Otherwise the complaint will still need to be active and open till it is resolved.In that case I need also to file a complaint against Health Grade website separetly  Thank you!Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]Although they state they discussed the legitimacy of the issue with me, it was clear in my discussion with them that they repeatedly sent faxes to my business without my permission. I am glad that they have taken my name out of their system and consider this issue closed.
Thank you for your help in addressing this issue.Sincerely,[redacted]

BetterDoctor is officially partnered (*Partnership link at bottom) with Washington Healthplanfinder and contracted to conduct outreach to providers across the state of Washington to request provider directory updates.
BetterDoctor is responsible for gathering updated information about...

healthcare providers and their practices that will be used in the state exchange’s website during open enrollment 2017-2018. Accurate provider data is critical to the site’s operability because consumers are able to search by provider for a health plan that fits their needs. When BetterDoctor outreaches practices, they request information that populates the exchange site. Outreach is conducted by phone, fax, email and postal mailing.
The BetterDoctor team understands how frustrating it is for providers to get multiple calls, faxes, and emails, which is why we work to reduce the administrative burden by sending periodic reminders to update practice information in an online form. All these efforts are done to benefit all parties involved—including providers themselves and consumers who use provider directories to look for care.
Going forward, BetterDoctor will be more proactive with educating providers before outreach begins. As a clearinghouse for accurate provider directory data, BetterDoctor is challenged by client’s incomplete information on file. We do our best to reach out kindly to gather updated information and work with providers to be sure they are accurately represented online.
In the case of Dr. [redacted], BetterDoctor outreached his office with a fax on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 requesting that he update his information. BetterDoctor received notification through the Revdex.com on Thursday, July 20, 2017 that Dr. [redacted] believed the outreach was a solicitation and not a legitimate request on behalf of Washington Healthplanfinder. The BetterDoctor team contacted our partners at Washington Healthplanfinder to have someone officially reach out to Dr. [redacted]. A Washington Healthplanfinder Senior Plan Manager reached out directly to him via phone on the afternoon of July 20th to explain the situation and answer any questions. The BetterDoctor team also began to process Dr. [redacted]’s requests so he won’t be contacted again.
As of noon PST on Wednesday, July 25th (one week after his note), all of Dr. [redacted]’s requests have been met. The BetterDoctor team blocked Dr. [redacted]’s phone, fax, and mailing address from future contact. One previously queued fax was sent to Dr. [redacted] on the morning of July 25th before the system change took effect at noon. The BetterDoctor support team leader reached out directly to Dr. [redacted] to apologize via phone and explain the situation in a brief voicemail.
BetterDoctor appreciates that Dr. [redacted]’s requests represent the sentiment of more providers than himself. The BetterDoctor team takes provider feedback seriously and is working to go above and beyond his settlement requests. Not only has the BetterDoctor team changed its systems to reflect his personal communication preferences, but we have ensured that all our fax outreach to all providers includes a phone number that is answered Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by a US-based support team. Only in cases with unusually high traffic will calls be routed to voicemails. The BetterDoctor team is also committed to responding to all provider concerns and complaints sent by fax or email within 1 business day.
With regard to BetterDoctor’s request for Dr. [redacted] to validate his colleague’s information, he simply needs to let the support team know via phone or email that the two, though at the same location, are not part of the same business. There is no expectation on behalf of BetterDoctor or Washington Healthplanfinder that Dr. [redacted] would verify information for anyone other than himself. The BetterDoctor support and data teams have processes in place to divide practices that are at the same location and can take care of these requests quickly. We do however recognize the inconvenience, and sincerely apologize for the extra time it may take to ensure data is fully accurate for consumers.
Concerning the outreach pattern mentioned in Dr. [redacted]’s feedback, the pattern described is in accordance with BetterDoctor’s contract with Washington Healthplanfinder. To provide consumers with accurate practice and provider information in the state exchange during open enrollment, Washington Healthplanfinder requests information (through BetterDoctor as an outreach arm) from providers three times per quarter every three months. BetterDoctor outreaches practices up to three times via different outreach methods (for example, 2 faxes and one phone call), but not after providers validate their information in any reporting period, or if they request the communications stop for the quarter - or ceases forever. By requesting information on a regular basis, Washington Healthplanfinder is able to serve consumers with the best information to make decisions. Through regular outreach, the exchange learns about key provider and practice updates including retirements, affiliation changes, network statuses, and location changes among other important details.
Publicly, the BetterDoctor team is working to reduce provider confusion by more strongly defining our partnership with Washington Healthplanfinder through clear communication on their website and ours that the outreach is ongoing and legitimate. Some stories have been published this week (July 24, 2017), and more will follow in the coming weeks to reduce confusion and frustration among the provider community.
BetterDoctor was started in 2011 to make finding a doctor an easier process for millions of Americans. Our partnership with Washington Healthplanfinder reflects that endeavor. While we take responsibility and deeply regret situations like Dr. [redacted]’s, we are committed to fixing the provider directory data problem in the industry at large. Ultimately, we aspire to reduce the burden of inaccurate provider data among all health systems while still respecting the time of those who update the information for patients seeking care.
If there are any additional questions or concerns regarding this matter, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [redacted], or directly to [redacted]
 
*Partnership link: [redacted]

Dr. [redacted],
Thank you for sharing your concern. We really appreciate feedback from providers and take your feedback very seriously. We are sorry you have to deal with this inconvenience.
The rating on amwell.[redacted] comes from data previously used on our old consumer website. This attribute is...

part of our public dataset and we working to terminate this attribute in the data. The data is old and published in 2015. At the time, it was based on consumer feedback (ratings from across the web), referral score/recommendation (CMS referral network quality data), experience (years of practice), and education (school ranking).
We have removed your rating from the data set that goes to the AmWell website; you should expect the rating to go away once Amwell refreshes the updated data to their system. Until then, it will be reflected on their website. Please let us know if it takes AmWell longer than 2 weeks to update and for you to see the change.
As for your rating with Healthgrades.com, we are not affiliated with that company in any way. Please contact them directly to inquire about your rating there.
To give you some context, BetterDoctor.[redacted] used to be a consumer-facing website where doctors could update their profiles so consumers could more easily find care. We were a provider directory for consumers and provided ratings. After learning that much of the data in the marketplace was incorrect, we took it upon ourselves to fix this data.  
In 2016, we shifted our business and shut down our consumer site -- where the rating you see comes from. Today, we work on behalf of health plans and other health organizations by outreaching to providers to make their data more accurate on provider directories published by health plans.
We’re grateful you’ve flagged this issue for us because it contributes to our larger goal of cleaning this inaccurate provider data. We also no longer use “BetterDoctor Ratings.”
If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact BetterDoctor directly at [redacted].
All the best,
The BetterDoctor Team

Upon becoming aware of his complaint, immediately took [redacted] 's phone and fax number out of our outreach system to ensure he is not reached out to again by BetterDoctor, thus resolving his issue. We also reached out to him directly over the phone to address his concerns...

about the legitimacy of our outreach and spoke with him about our contracted partnership with health plans that he networks with.

Dr. [redacted],
AmWell has refreshed their system and has taken off your review. You can see results here. Due to technical challenges, they had to take down your profile completely in order to take down the rating.
Again, we appreciate you contacting us to address this issue. Let us know if you have any further concerns.
Best,
The BetterDoctor Team