Healthgrades for providers is mostly a question of control. Patients look up doctors on Healthgrades constantly, and a profile with a wrong address, an outdated specialty or the wrong insurance list costs you calls you never hear about. This guide covers what to prepare, how to correct a profile, how to handle reviews safely and what to ask before paying for anything.
One limitation up front: Healthgrades' website blocked our automated checks in October 2026, returning "access denied" on its provider pages. So we don't restate Healthgrades' current claim steps, data sources or prices here. Everything below is either verified from another official source or framed as a question for you to put to Healthgrades.
Why your Healthgrades profile matters
The search data shows who's looking. Patients type "healthgrades doctor reviews" about 2,900 times a month and "healthgrades for doctors" about 3,600 times, and most of those searches are patients looking up a doctor. Provider-side searches are tiny: "healthgrades for providers" and "healthgrades premium profile" get about 10 each (Google Ads Keyword Planner data via DataForSEO, US, 12-month average to Sep 2026).
In other words, thousands of patients check these profiles and very few providers manage them. An unclaimed profile shows whatever data the directory has. A claimed one shows what you've confirmed.
Directory profiles can also be among the sources AI assistants draw on when they name doctors, though no assistant publishes how it weighs them. See how AI assistants cite sources for what's known.
Where Healthgrades gets provider data
We couldn't read Healthgrades' own explanation of its data sources in October 2026, so we won't name any. Ask Healthgrades directly which sources populate your profile, and how often they refresh.
What we can verify is the public federal record every directory has access to. CMS publishes provider data from NPPES, the system behind National Provider Identifiers, through the NPI Registry, "a query-only database which is updated daily," and as downloadable files with "no charge to download the data" (CMS (opens in a new tab)). CMS says there's no way to opt out of that public record for an active NPI, and that providers should correct wrong information.
That makes NPPES the first thing to fix. If the registry still lists an old office, any service that reuses public data may repeat it. Our guide to updating NPI information walks through it step by step.
Claim and verify your profile
Because we couldn't verify Healthgrades' current claim flow, use its own provider pages for the steps. Prepare this before you start, so you can finish in one sitting:
- A practice-owned email address for the account, not a provider's personal email, so access survives staff changes.
- Each provider's NPI, plus state license number and state.
- The NPPES record, already checked and corrected, so the details you enter match.
- Office locations with suite numbers, main phone and hours.
- Specialties and focus areas as the provider wants them shown.
- Insurance plans accepted, by plan name, confirmed with your billing team.
- Accepting new patients: yes or no, by location.
Claim each provider separately. Directories organize by clinician, so a group practice with six physicians has six profiles to claim and maintain.
Ask Healthgrades:
- How is ownership verified, and how long does it take?
- Can one practice account manage several providers' profiles?
- Who can be added as a user, and can access be removed when staff leave?
Correcting specialties, locations and insurance
Fix errors at the source first, then on the profile.
| What's wrong | Fix first | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Old office address | NPPES practice location; your website; Google listing | Update on the profile |
| Wrong phone | NPPES; website; Google | Update on the profile |
| Wrong or missing specialty | NPPES taxonomy, if it's wrong there | Update on the profile |
| Outdated insurance list | Your website's insurance page | Update on the profile |
| Provider who has left | Remove them from your website and Google | Ask Healthgrades how departures are handled |
Keep a dated note of every correction request: what you changed, where and when. If something reverts, you'll know whether a source upstream still has the old data.
For comparison, other directories document their correction process. WebMD, for example, asks for a support request per doctor with the NPI and proof of location (WebMD physician directory covers it). Expect Healthgrades to ask for similar evidence.
Patient reviews on Healthgrades
We couldn't verify how Healthgrades currently handles patient reviews or whether providers can reply publicly. If your dashboard offers replies, the HIPAA rules are the same as on Google or Yelp.
The Privacy Rule says a covered entity "may not use or disclose protected health information" except as the rule allows (45 CFR 164.502 (opens in a new tab)). Confirming that a reviewer is your patient can itself be a disclosure, even if they've described their visit.
Before replying to any review:
- don't confirm or deny the person is a patient;
- don't mention dates, treatments, results, bills or insurance;
- speak about your policies, not their care;
- invite them to call the practice manager by name;
- if a review seems fake or abusive, ask the platform how to report it rather than arguing in public.
Illustrative example (fictional practice): "Thank you for your feedback. Our privacy obligations mean we can't discuss any individual's care online. Please call our practice manager, Luis, at our main number so we can listen and help."
Full reply patterns are in replying to reviews.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm how it applies to your practice with a qualified advisor.
Paid profile options: what to ask before you buy
We couldn't verify which paid options Healthgrades currently offers providers, or their prices, so we won't describe any. If you're offered a paid profile or upgrade, ask these questions and get the answers in writing:
- What exactly changes? Placement in search results, removal of competitor ads, extra profile content, appointment requests?
- Is the free profile enough to keep data correct? If a correction needs a paid plan, ask why.
- Contract terms. Length, auto-renewal and cancellation notice.
- Measurement. Which numbers will they report (profile views, calls, appointment requests), and can you verify them with your own call and booking data?
- Patient data. If patients can request appointments through the profile, where do those requests go, and will Healthgrades sign a business associate agreement (BAA) covering them?
- Review tools. If the package includes review requests, how do they comply with platform rules and the FTC's rules on reviews?
- After you cancel. What stays on the profile, and what's removed?
Where Medfy fits
Medfy doesn't manage directories, including Healthgrades. What it does is show the outcome: Medfy's AI visibility tracking asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews the questions patients ask every week, and shows whether they name your practice and who they recommend instead. For a quick look at your Google listing and website first, run a free marketing audit. The rest of the directories worth claiming are in the online listings guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I claim my Healthgrades profile?
Start from Healthgrades' own provider pages and follow its current claim steps; we couldn't verify them because Healthgrades blocked our checks in October 2026. Have each provider's NPI, license details, office addresses and a practice email ready, and claim each provider's profile separately. Check the NPPES record first, so what you enter matches the public registry.
Can a doctor remove a Healthgrades profile?
We couldn't confirm Healthgrades' current policy, because its site blocked our checks in October 2026. Ask Healthgrades support directly and get the answer in writing. Directories often keep provider pages up: Yelp, for example, says it doesn't remove business pages. Claiming and correcting the profile is the part you control, and your NPI record stays public whatever a directory decides.
Do I have to pay Healthgrades to fix my information?
We couldn't verify Healthgrades' current offerings or prices in October 2026. Before buying anything, ask in writing whether correcting factual details such as address, phone, specialty or insurance requires a paid plan. For comparison, WebMD says its basic profile is free and can be edited once claimed. Keep a dated record of every correction you request.