How to File an Indiana State Board of Health Complaint

To file an Indiana State Board of Health complaint, use the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) if your concern is about a licensed healthcare facility, and the Indiana Attorney General if it’s about an individual doctor, nurse, or other licensed professional. The two paths use different agencies and different forms, so getting this right at the start saves weeks.

Complaints About a Hospital, Nursing Home, or Other Facility

The IDOH’s Consumer Services and Healthcare Regulation Commission handles complaints about care at any licensed or certified healthcare facility in Indiana. That includes hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and home health agencies.¹ You don’t have to be the patient. Anyone can file.

Two ways to submit:

Online, through the IDOH complaint portal at in.gov/health/cshcr/report-a-complaint.
By phone at 1-800-246-8909, where you can leave a voicemail complaint.²

Give the agency enough to work with. Name the facility and its location. Describe what happened, when it happened, and who was involved. Attach anything you have: medical records, photographs, names of witnesses. Complaints that lack sufficient information can be closed without an investigation.²

Your identity is protected. Under Indiana law, the IDOH cannot identify or release the name of the person who submitted a complaint, and investigators work to keep the complainant’s identity confidential throughout the process.²

Complaints About an Individual Doctor, Nurse, or Other Licensed Professional

If the problem is with a specific person rather than a facility, IDOH isn’t the right agency. You file with the Indiana Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, which acts as the gatekeeper for every professional licensing complaint in the state.³

The Attorney General reviews the complaint first. If the evidence supports it, the AG brings the case before the appropriate licensing board — the Medical Licensing Board for physicians, for example — and presents it much like a prosecutor. The board then holds a hearing and decides. For physician complaints, the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana runs its own investigation into certain violations before the case moves forward.⁴

Boards can impose real consequences, alone or in combination:

Revocation, meaning the professional loses their license and cannot reapply for seven years.
Summary suspension of 90 days when the professional poses a clear and immediate danger to public safety.
Suspension, typically indefinite with a minimum time before reinstatement can be requested.
Probation, censure, or reprimand, which remain on the record.
Fines of up to $1,000 per violation, except when the finding involves incompetence caused by a physical or mental disability.³

What IDOH Can and Can’t Investigate

The IDOH can only look into concerns that fall under state licensing laws, state regulations, or federal Medicare requirements.² In practice, that means the complaint has to involve a licensed or certified facility doing something that violates health or safety standards. Poor sanitation, unsafe patient care, inadequate staffing, and failure to follow infection-control protocols all qualify.

Some things fall outside IDOH’s authority. A billing dispute with a private physician isn’t a health regulation violation. Concerns about a specific provider’s competence or conduct go to the Attorney General, as described above. Medicaid fraud and patient abuse or neglect each have their own dedicated complaint portals through the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.⁵

You don’t need a lawyer or medical expertise to file. A clear description of what happened and why it worried you is enough to trigger a review.

What Happens After You File

The IDOH sends an email confirming receipt within three business days. After that, timelines vary with the severity of the complaint. Some investigations wrap up in a few weeks; others take several months. The agency asks complainants to allow up to 120 days for an investigation to be completed.²

Investigations are unannounced. A state surveyor enters the facility without prior notice so they see everyday conditions rather than a prepared version.² Surveyors examine patient care, sanitation, record-keeping, and staffing, and they can interview staff, patients, and others. When a complaint overlaps with federal Medicare standards, the IDOH coordinates with the relevant federal agency.

You have the right to be informed about the outcome of your complaint, including any action taken. Confidentiality cuts both ways, though: some details of the investigation and its resolution may be limited in what can be shared back with you.

Retaliation Is Prohibited

A facility cannot punish you or a loved one for reporting concerns. Anyone who retaliates against a resident or employee for filing a complaint, intentionally interferes with a state investigation, or fails to correct cited deficiencies within the required timeframe commits a Class C misdemeanor and may face a civil penalty of up to $25,000.⁶ If retaliation happens after you file, that itself is grounds for a new complaint.

When to Go Federal Instead

Certain problems need a federal agency, not a state one.

Medical Privacy (HIPAA)

If a provider, insurer, or business associate improperly shares your medical information, file with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The complaint has to be filed within 180 days of when you learned of the violation, though the OCR can extend that for good cause. Submit through the OCR online portal, by mail, or by email to OCRComplaint@hhs.gov. Written complaints go to Centralized Case Management Operations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue S.W., Room 509F HHH Building, Washington, D.C. 20201.⁷

Emergency Room Refusals (EMTALA)

Federal law requires every hospital with an emergency department to screen and stabilize anyone seeking emergency care, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. A hospital that turns you away, pressures you to go elsewhere, or delays screening to ask about payment is violating the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.⁸ EMTALA complaints go to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or to the IDOH, which acts as the state survey agency for Medicare-participating facilities.

Discrimination in Healthcare

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in any health program receiving federal funding, including hospitals that accept Medicare and doctors paid by Medicaid.⁹ If you believe you were denied care or treated differently because of one of those characteristics, contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights at (800) 368-1019 or OCRMail@hhs.gov.

Other Places That Can Help

Indiana Long-Term Care Ombudsman, 1-800-622-4484. An advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities who can help resolve concerns informally or guide you through the formal complaint process.²
Indiana Attorney General Medicaid Fraud portal, for suspected billing for services not rendered or other fraud against the Medicaid program.⁵
Medicare beneficiaries with unresolved concerns can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and ask that the inquiry be sent to the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman. TTY: 1-877-486-2048.¹⁰
Indiana 211, at 866-211-9966 or by texting your ZIP code to 898-211, if you’re not sure which agency your complaint belongs with.

1
Indiana Department of Health. Consumer Services and Healthcare Regulation Home
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Indiana Department of Health. Reporting a Complaint About a Health Care Facility
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Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Report a Professional
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Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 25-1-7-3 – Investigation of Complaints
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Indiana Attorney General. Consumer Protection Division – File a Complaint
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Justia Law. Indiana Code Title 16 Article 28 Chapter 9 – Health Facilities
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. How to File a Health Information Privacy or Security Complaint
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1395dd – Examination and Treatment for Emergency Medical Conditions
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Section 1557 – Protecting Individuals Against Sex Discrimination
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Medicare.gov. Get Help with Your Rights and Protections