Google is looking to help users navigate the insurance coverage space with a new tool that helps people check if a provider is in-network.

Users will be able to look up a specific provider and see what insurance networks they take. Google is also letting Medicare members use a filter on their mobile phones in order to find providers in their area that accept their insurance. 

“By providing timely and authoritative health information, plus relevant resources and tools on Google Search, we’re always exploring ways to help people make more informed choices about their health. Here are a few new ways we’re helping,” Hema Budaraju, director of Google Search, said in a blog post announcing the news. 

The tech giant also created a feature that displays what languages are spoken at each provider’s office. 

On the provider side, doctors and healthcare providers are able to claim their business profile in order to update their services and hours. 

WHY IT MATTERS

Finding a provider that takes their insurance and can see them in a timely manner can be difficult for patients. In fact, according to Urban Institute, 13.5% of individuals with employer-sponsored insurance and 22.9% of individuals with Medicaid or public coverage had difficulty finding a provider within the last 12 months. 

Individuals with chronic conditions and income below the 138% of the federal poverty were more likely to struggle to find a provider. 

THE LARGER TREND

This is one of several new health-related features that Google has rolled out in the last year. In October, it unveiled a new mobile version of Google Care Studio, a clinician-facing search tool that helps organize patients’ medical records. 

This isn’t Google’s first effort in helping patients find providers. In September, Google rolled out new tools on Search and Maps that show more information in a healthcare provider’s business profile.

Google has also rolled out several COVID-19 related search functions, including a tool to help users find vaccination sites and another to help users find testing sites.