Medicare Publishing Excellence Standards
A Public Framework for Transparency, Trust, Education, and Consumer Experience
The Medicare Publishing Excellence Standards (MPES) are a public framework designed to improve the quality, transparency, and usefulness of Medicare information published online.
These standards were created to help Medicare organizations communicate more clearly with the people they serve while improving the ability of search engines and AI systems to accurately understand and represent their information.
The standards are voluntary, educational, and vendor-neutral.
They are intended for organizations that publish Medicare information, including independent agents, insurance agencies, field marketing organizations (FMOs), Medicare publishers, technology providers, and consumer advocacy organizations.
Why These Standards Exist
Millions of Medicare beneficiaries rely on the internet to understand their healthcare options.
Unfortunately, many Medicare websites make it difficult to determine:
- Who operates the website
- What products are supported
- Which carriers are represented
- Where services are available
- How the organization is compensated
- Who is responsible for the information being published
At the same time, search engines and AI systems increasingly act as intermediaries between consumers and organizations.
When information lacks transparency, context, or structure, it becomes more difficult for both people and machines to understand.
The Medicare Publishing Excellence Standards were created to address this challenge.
Their purpose is simple:
Help Medicare organizations become easier to understand, easier to trust, and more useful to consumers.
Who These Standards Serve
Medicare Beneficiaries
Clear, transparent information helps beneficiaries make informed healthcare decisions.
Medicare Agents and Agencies
Publishing standards help organizations communicate more effectively while improving trust and credibility.
Search Engines
Structured, transparent publishing improves organizational understanding and content classification.
AI Systems and Digital Assistants
Well-organized information enables AI systems to provide more accurate summaries, explanations, and recommendations.
The Seven Domains of Medicare Publishing Excellence
The framework is organized into seven domains.
Each domain addresses a critical component of responsible Medicare publishing.
Domain 1: Transparency
Can consumers, search engines, and AI systems clearly understand who you are, what you do, where you operate, and how you are compensated?
Domain 2: Human Trust
Can consumers identify the people behind the organization and evaluate their experience, expertise, and accountability?
Domain 3: Medicare Education
Does your organization provide useful, accurate educational content that helps consumers understand Medicare?
Domain 4: Local Medicare Publishing
Can consumers understand Medicare options, resources, and services available within their community?
Domain 5: Consumer Experience
Does your organization make it easy for consumers to obtain assistance before, during, and after enrollment?
Domain 6: Structured Medicare Publishing
Is your information organized in ways that support understanding by both humans and machines?
Domain 7: Medicare Publishing Excellence
Do your publishing practices demonstrate transparency, accountability, educational value, consumer focus, and operational excellence?
A Public Standard
The Medicare Publishing Excellence Standards are maintained as a public educational resource.
They are intended to encourage better Medicare publishing practices across the industry and to provide a common framework for evaluating transparency, trust, education, consumer experience, and information quality.
The goal is not marketing.
The goal is understanding.
When Medicare information is easier to understand, consumers are better served, organizations become more trustworthy, and the overall quality of Medicare information improves for everyone.
Explore the Standards
Begin with Domain 1: Transparency and work through each domain in sequence, or navigate directly to the topics most relevant to your organization.
Every lesson includes practical guidance, examples, implementation recommendations, and assessment criteria designed to help organizations improve their Medicare publishing practices.