Relevant Contact Points in California

The state's health-facility licensing and survey agency, handling state citations, civil penalties and deemed-status oversight. It protects patient safety and ensures quality care for the more than 11,000 health care facilities CDPH regulates, serves as the state survey agency for CMS certification, and licenses and certifies nurse assistants, home health aides, hemodialysis technicians and nursing home administrators.

Directory of the program's district offices, including San Jose, Daly City, Santa Rosa, Stockton and Ventura, plus the State Facilities Section and the Life & Safety Code Section, giving the operational contact point for filing a facility complaint or reaching the surveyor responsible for a given county.

The public's online intake form for filing a complaint against a health care facility or provider directly with CDPH's Licensing and Certification Program, capturing facility identity, incident details and, optionally, the complainant's identity; complaints may be filed anonymously.

The state agency that licenses residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFEs) and adult day programs. The Adult & Senior Care Program also includes a Field Support Program and a Technical Support Program, each with its own listed leadership.

The statewide toll-free hotline for filing a complaint against a CCLD-licensed community care facility, including residential care facilities for the elderly, a child care facility or a home care organization.

Provides statewide advocacy for residents of licensed long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and residential care facilities for the elderly, reachable through local county Ombudsman offices or the statewide CRISISline. It handles complaints of rights violations, abuse, poor care, dietary concerns, improper transfer or discharge, and restraint misuse.

Investigates and prosecutes Medi-Cal provider fraud and elder or dependent-adult abuse in facilities, such as nursing homes allowing patients to suffer bedsores, malnutrition or dehydration, and staff physically or financially abusing elderly or dependent-adult patients. It accepts public complaints of suspected Medi-Cal fraud or elder abuse. Links to CDSS's Community Care Licensing complaint system, California Adult Protective Services and CDPH's facility directory as related reporting resources.

Consumer-complaint intake for reporting a complaint about a business, including medical providers, hospitals and medical-debt collectors, or for asking questions.

Consumer-complaint intake for financial-service providers and unlicensed activity, including debt collectors licensed under the Debt Collection Licensing Act.

Directs consumers with medical-billing-related complaints to the correct regulator: the Department of Managed Health Care for HMO and most PPO billing disputes, the Department of Insurance for indemnity or traditional-plan and some PPO disputes, the Medi-Cal Managed Care Ombudsman, and CDPH for health care facility complaints. Also links to a health care consumer-protection intake labeled "HRA's own" in the source description.

Hosts the File a Complaint entry point and contact form for patients disputing hospital financial-assistance denials or debt-collection conduct under the Hospital Fair Pricing Act.

The Department of Managed Health Care's consumer complaint and Independent Medical Review phone line for disputes with a licensed health care service plan.

Contact point, by voice and TTY, for complaints and disputes involving licensed insurers, including health and disability insurers.

Explains how to request an Independent Medical Review using the application enclosed with an insurer's denial letter, and how to reach the Department by phone, mail or email with questions.