Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards
5401 W. 10th Street . Suite 101 . Greeley . CO 80634-4400 . USA
970.356.3500   FAX 970.356.3599
e-mail: info@fclb.org   www.fclb.org 

"Protecting the public and serving our member boards by promoting excellence in chiropractic regulation."


How to check for disciplinary
or other official actions
against a chiropractor
Q & A About Chiropractic | Chiropractic & Regulatory Resources

Responsible consumers have many reasons why they might want to check with reputable sources for any official actions involving a health care professional, including a chiropractor.
  • The doctor may have limitations in place on his/her ability to practice.
  • Some sanctions, such as those from the US Department of Health and Human Services, may impact what sorts of payments can be made for services.
  • The doctor may not have a current and active license to practice.
Depending on what is found in a check for actions taken by a licensing board and/or other official agencies, the consumer may:
  • feel completely secure in receiving services from the doctor
  • want to be sure that the doctor complies with any restrictions on the license and practice
  • want to investigate the implications for government and insurance payments for services
  • want to find a different doctor

Information on actions taken by a state licensing board and other governmental agencies is public information, and should be readily available to consumers. There are several sources for this information.

If you are interested in confirming that a doctor has an unrestricted, current license in your state or province, the FCLB suggests that you call that jurisdiction's licensing board directly. A listing with the telephone numbers for those boards is posted on this web site. Question that you might want to ask when you call include:

  • Is this doctor licensed in this state/province?
  • Are there any restrictions on this doctor's ability to practice?
  • Has the doctor been subject to any public board actions?
  • Is this doctor currently subject to exclusion from Medicare/Medicaid payments? The licensing board may not have this federal information in their files.
Every chiropractic licensing board should provide this information to you. Answers to these questions should be prompt and are generally free over the telephone; there may be a small charge if you need a written statement. Note that some licensing boards post this licensure information on their board's website.

If you are interested in more comprehensive information, for example, on a doctor who may be licensed in more than one state/province, or if the question of Medicare/Medicaid sanctions is especially important, you may want to request a search of the FCLB's Official Actions Database.

The Official Actions Database records information on public board actions that have been reported by all 50 US states and the District of Columbia, as well as several jurisdictions outside of the US. It also lists all currently effective Medicare/Medicaid sanctions. A sample report from the Official Actions Database is posted on this website.

Full access to the Official Actions Database is limited to registered users from licensing boards and subscribing agencies. However, the FCLB staff will conduct searches of the database for members of the public at a nominal fee.

To request a search of the Official Actions Database, please print a copy of the query request form and mail or fax it to the FCLB office.

 

For Questions Contact: info@fclb.org