Filing a Complaint Related to Your Healthcare

Many problems can be resolved with a simple conversation. Therefore, we encourage you to share your concerns with your healthcare provider.

Of course, you always have the right to file a complaint regardless of whether or not you discuss the issue directly with your healthcare provider.

If your concern is related to the QUALITY or NECESSITY of care provided, and that care is covered by Medicare—
Please call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or TTY/TTD 1-877-486-2048 for the hearing and speech impaired.

To file a formal complaint, you (or your authorized representative) will need to submit a written complaint form. Download the quality-of-care complaint form.

For other all concerns—
Please see our list of suggested resources.

What’s Meant by “Quality or Necessity of Care”?

Medicare's review process focuses on concerns related to the quality or necessity of medical care. Examples include preventable situations in which the care caused you harm, or put you in a situation where you could have been harmed, such as:

You received a medication or treatment that you did not need
You were not properly evaluated for a problem, and because of this you did not receive the treatment you needed or the treatment was delayed
You were discharged from the hospital too soon, or with incomplete discharge instructions
You experienced serious complications as a result of care, the lack of care, or because the care was provided in an inappropriate setting (for instance, in a nursing home instead of a hospital)

Medicare's complaint-resolution process does not investigate issues related to unprofessional or impolite behavior, housekeeping, or the temperature of your room or food. For help with these concerns, please review our list of suggested resources.