If you provided your email, we sent you an email confirming that we got your complaint.

To keep this information for your records, either use the “Print” button above or save this page as a PDF on your computer or mobile phone.

What to expect

The federal government will review your complaint and might share it with the state. If there’s an investigation, it’s often done by a State Survey Agency. After an investigation, the federal government will determine if the hospital violated EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The process can take weeks or months, depending on the nature of the complaint.

Whether you filed a complaint anonymously or provided your contact information, investigators might reach out to patients and other people they identify in hospital records.

If you provided your contact information, you’ll get a summary of the investigation.

If your complaint is about a situation EMTALA doesn’t cover, it will be sent to the right office, or closed.

In the event that you have information to add to your complaint or want to contact us, please file another complaint.

Here are some resources

• Contact information for State Survey Agencies
• Your emergency department rights

About CMS

CMS is the federal agency that provides health coverage to more than 160 million through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. CMS works in partnership with the entire health care community to improve quality, equity and outcomes in the health care system.