Filing complaints about a doctor, hospital, or provider

Improper care or unsafe conditions

You may have a complaint about improper care (like claims of abuse to a nursing home resident) or unsafe conditions (like water damage or fire safety concerns). To file a complaint about improper care or unsafe conditions in a hospital, home health agency, hospice, or nursing home, contact your State Survey Agency. The State Survey Agency is usually part of your State’s department of health services.

Hospital conditions

To file a complaint about conditions at a hospital (like rooms being too hot or cold, cold food, or poor housekeeping) contact your State’s department of health services.

Your doctor 

To file a complaint about your doctor (like unprofessional conduct, incompetent practice, or licensing questions), contact your State medical board.

Complaints about the quality of your care

Contact your Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO) for complaints about the quality of care you got from a Medicare provider.

Quality of care complaints could include:

Drug errors

Like being given the wrong drug or being given drugs that interact in a negative way.

Unnecessary or inappropriate surgery

Like being operated on for a condition that could’ve been effectively treated with drugs or physical therapy.

Unnecessary or inappropriate treatment

Like being given the wrong treatment or treatment you didn’t need.

Not getting treatment after your condition changed

Like not getting treatment after abnormal test results or when you developed a complication.

Getting discharged from the hospital too soon

Like being sent home when you're still in severe pain.

Incomplete discharge instructions and/or arrangements

Like being sent home from the hospital without instructions for the changes that were made in your daily medicine.

Note

For questions about a specific service you got, look at your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or log into your secure Medicare account. You can file an appeal if you disagree with a coverage or payment decision made by one of these:

  • Medicare
  • Your Medicare health plan
  • Your Medicare drug plan