Health Care Quality Assessment

Most of your encounters with healthcare providers in New Jersey will proceed as they should. Inevitably, however, some will not. This page provides guidance for submitting official complaints.

Hospitals, nursing homes, hospice centers, assisted living facilities, and most other acute and long term care facilities in New Jersey are under the jurisdiction of the Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing at the Department of Health.

If you are willing to provide your name and contact information, use this online form to file a complaint about the care you received at a licensed health care facility in New Jersey.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, you may still file a complaint by calling the Department of Health Complaint Hotline at 800-792-9770. The hotline is available 24 hours a day.

Alternatively, you may submit a complaint by mail to:

New Jersey Department of Health
Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing
P.O. Box 367
Trenton NJ 08625-0367

If you are a Medicare patient and your complaint concerns a Medicare-affiliated provider, you may additionally file a complaint, or "grievance," through Medicare.

Charity Care related complaints

To file a complaint about how a hospital processed your application for Charity Care, you must contact the New Jersey Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program. You may call them at (866) 588-5696, email Charity.Care@doh.state.nj.us, or write:

New Jersey Department of Health, New Jersey Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program
PO Box 360
Trenton, NJ 08625-0360

Billing complaints

If you are a Medicare patient and you disagree with their coverage or payment decisions, you may file an appeal through Medicare.

If you are a Medicaid patient, you may call the Medicaid hotline at 800-356-1561.

If you are a member of a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or other managed care plan, you may file a complaint through the Office of Managed Care, which is administered by the State of New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance.

Complaints about New Jersey physicians are processed by the Board of Medical Examiners, a subsidiary of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.

Submit a complaint online or download a complaint form. Completed paper complaint forms must be mailed to:

Division of Consumer Affairs
State Board of Medical Examiners
P.O. Box 183
Trenton, NJ 08625

Additionally, the Board of Medical Examiners may be reached by phone at (609) 826-7100.

Complaints about nursing staff in New Jersey are processed by the New Jersey Board of Nursing, a subsidiary of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.

The New Jersey Board of Nursing only accepts complaints submitted by phone and by mail. Download a complaint form and mail it to:

New Jersey Board of Nursing
PO Box 45010
Newark, NJ 07101

Complainants may reach the Board of Nursing by phone at (973) 504-6457.