AHCA launches online complaint form

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration has launched an online health care facility complaint form.

The state agency regulates 41 types of health care service providers, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and home health agencies.

In 2008, the agency received 7,788 complaints from Floridians through phone calls and written correspondence. Many complaints involved patient or resident care concerns within the health care facilities regulated by the agency, according to a Nov. 9 AHCA
The most frequent concerns involved issues such as billing practices, responsiveness to grievances, and care provided to residents at assisted living facilities and home health agencies. They also included concerns about nursing care, administration of medication and quality of food.

“The new online health care facility complaint form will give Floridians direct access to our agency when they feel a violation has occurred, allowing us to act quickly and efficiently to help correct the issue,” AHCA Secretary Thomas Arnold said in a news release.