RateMDs: A Guide for Physicians, Dentists, and Practice Managers

By the Expert Reputation team · Updated September 30, 2026

RateMDs is one of the oldest doctor-rating sites, and it is built around anonymity. Patients can post ratings without an account. RateMDs says plainly that it "does not ascertain the validity of user-submitted ratings." For providers, that means claiming the free profile, replying carefully, and knowing exactly which ratings RateMDs will take down when you flag them.

Why RateMDs matters for healthcare practices

RateMDs lists doctors, dentists, and other healthcare providers, and it keeps a profile up even after a provider stops practicing. Its help center says a provider's listing "will remain on the website" and that full profile removal isn't offered. Because anyone can rate without logging in, a practice that never checks RateMDs can find old, unanswered criticism sitting next to its name.

For how RateMDs compares with Healthgrades, Vitals, and others, see our review sites hub.

How to claim your RateMDs profile

RateMDs' Terms of Use say "any healthcare provider may claim their profile, for no charge, by clicking the 'Claim Doctor Profile' button." After claiming, a provider can:

• Update business information such as address, phone number, specialties, awards, and recognitions
• Post a response to any review

For practice managers: RateMDs recommends that staff and agencies create their own user account and claim their providers' profiles. One account can manage several providers. A provider can also add staff from the Team Members tab of the dashboard, but the teammate needs an active RateMDs account first.

If you've retired or left a location: RateMDs won't delete the profile. It will correct details such as a residential address, a wrong photo, or wrong facility contact information. It can also mark the profile Retired. A Retired profile is removed from ranking pages, is searchable by name only, and stops accepting new ratings.

How RateMDs ratings work

• Anonymous by default. Patients can rate without logging in. RateMDs offers an optional "Rating Receipt" by email so non-logged-in raters can manage their rating later, and says their email "will not be shared publicly."
• Not verified as patients. RateMDs' Terms say it "cannot verify a patient's description of interactions with his or her healthcare provider in a private setting, or the patient's subjective rating of that experience."
• One rating per rater. Raters agree not to "post multiple ratings for a single doctor," not to post "for-pay ratings," and not to "engage in 'astro-turfing.'"
• Reviewers can edit or delete. Logged-in raters can change their stars or delete a rating from their account. Others can use their Rating Receipt, a removal request form, or the flag button on the device they rated from. RateMDs says flagged ratings are generally reviewed within 3 business days.

That last point matters. Only the reviewer can edit their rating. You can't edit it for them, and you shouldn't pressure them to change it.

How to get more RateMDs ratings within the rules

RateMDs' own "Guide to Rating Collection" encourages asking patients directly, for example through front-desk staff, QR codes, email footers, or appointment reminders. You can make a direct link by adding #ratingform to the end of your RateMDs profile URL. Patients who open it land straight on the rating form.

The same guide warns providers to "never pressure or incentivize pay for patient ratings as this can damage your reputation and may even be illegal." Federal rules back this up. The FTC's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465, effective October 21, 2024) bans incentives conditioned on a review's sentiment and restricts undisclosed reviews by a business's officers and managers. Also:

• Ask everyone the same way. Don't screen patients and send only the satisfied ones to RateMDs.
• Staff and relatives must not post ratings. RateMDs' terms require truthful ratings and prohibit astro-turfing.

How to respond to RateMDs ratings

Once you've claimed the profile:

1. Log in to RateMDs.
2. Click Ratings in the left sidebar.
3. Type your reply in the text box under the rating. Replies must be 50 to 5,000 characters.
4. Click Add Response.

To take a reply down, go to Ratings and click Delete under your response.

Keep every reply HIPAA-safe

RateMDs' help article on responding reminds providers to keep protected health information (PHI) out of their replies. The HHS Office for Civil Rights has enforced this rule. In December 2022, it settled with New Vision Dental, a California practice, over PHI disclosed in replies to online reviews. HHS called the practice "illegal under HIPAA," and the dentist paid $23,000 and agreed to a corrective action plan.

Anonymity creates a particular trap on RateMDs. It's tempting to write "we have no record of you" or "you were seen on [date]." Both confirm or deny a patient relationship. Keep every reply general.

Example reply to a negative rating:

Thank you for your feedback. Privacy rules prevent us from discussing any individual's care online, and we can't confirm who is or isn't a patient. We take concerns like this seriously. Please call our practice manager, [Name], at [Phone] so we can listen and help. — [Practice Name]

Example reply to a positive rating:

Thank you for taking a moment to share this. It means a lot to our team. — [Practice Name]

The 50-character minimum rules out one-word replies, so write a full sentence or two. For more wording, see how to respond to negative reviews.

What RateMDs removes and what it doesn't

RateMDs' Terms of Use say flagged reviews are "taken down if deemed inappropriate." They give these examples:

In RateMDs' words: "RateMDs does not remove reviews solely because a user claims the review is subjectively unfair."

How to flag a RateMDs rating

1. Find the flag button under the rating.
2. Complete the pop-up form. Explain why the rating breaks the Terms of Use. RateMDs says this explanation is not shown publicly. You can also email RateMDs, as its Terms of Use describe.
3. Wait for the Rating Validation Team. RateMDs says it reviews flags in about 3 business days. It also says, for now, "you won't receive notification about the outcome," so check the profile afterward.

Make the flag specific. Point to the category the review falls in. For example: "The review accuses Dr. [Name] of a crime (accusation of unlawful activity)." Or: "It lists the office at a location we closed before the review date (inaccurate at time of posting)." Or: "It includes a staff member's home phone number (privacy violation)." Don't include patient information in the flag.

If there's no flag button, RateMDs says the rating is either still pending review or has already been reviewed and approved.

If RateMDs keeps the rating

RateMDs' own advice is to claim your profile and post a response. After that:

• Don't re-flag without new facts. A rating RateMDs has already reviewed and approved won't come down just because it's flagged again.
• Build volume honestly. A steady flow of genuine ratings makes any single one matter less.
• Be careful with legal routes. If you believe a rating is defamatory, talk to an attorney. RateMDs says it is incorporated in Santa Clara County, California, and that subpoenas from courts outside California "are generally not enforceable." That affects any attempt to identify an anonymous reviewer. Defamation law and procedures vary by state. This is general information, not legal advice. See defamation vs. opinion.
• Avoid removal-for-hire offers. Only RateMDs decides what stays up. See review removal scams.

Common RateMDs mistakes

• Replying with "we have no record of you." This discloses information about who is and isn't a patient.
• Flagging for unfairness. RateMDs explicitly doesn't remove ratings for that.
• Asking for profile deletion. It isn't offered. Ask for a correction or Retired status instead.
• Letting staff post ratings. That is astro-turfing under RateMDs' terms, and it may violate the FTC rule.
• Never checking the profile. RateMDs doesn't tell you the outcome of a flag, so check back. Review-alert tools such as Review IQ notify you when a new review appears on the sites you choose to monitor.