Physician Disciplinary Actions by State
How aggressively does each state discipline its physicians? We rank all 50 states and DC by serious medical-board actions per 1,000 licensed physicians, using Public Citizen and FSMB data for 2021–2023.
State rankings of doctor discipline rates per 1k physicians (2021-2023), from Public Citizen + FSMB data, with guides to verify actions.
State medical board disciplinary action rates for all 50 states and DC — ranked by enforcement, sourced from Public Citizen and FSMB public data.
Top 6 States: Discipline Rate Disparity vs National Baseline
Each bar shows a state's serious-discipline rate relative to the national average of 0.81 actions per 1,000 physicians. Bars at or above 2.0× indicate substantial overrepresentation per OCR descriptive thresholds.
Disparity ratio: state rate ÷ national rate
Highest Enforcement States
States with the most serious disciplinary actions per 1,000 physicians
Types of Disciplinary Actions
From most to least severe — actions taken by state medical boards
Had license to provide health care revoked or suspended by a state licensing authority, or surrendered license while a formal disciplinary proceeding was pending.
Convicted of a criminal offense related to the delivery of an item or service under Medicare, Medicaid, or other state health care program.
Convicted of a criminal offense relating to neglect or abuse of patients in connection with the delivery of a health care item or service.
Convicted of a felony relating to fraud, theft, embezzlement, breach of fiduciary responsibility, or other financial misconduct in a health care program.
Convicted of a felony relating to the unlawful manufacture, distribution, prescription, or dispensing of a controlled substance.
Default on health education loan or scholarship obligations, or default by managed care entity on contractual obligations.
Entity owned or controlled by an individual who has been excluded, or who has a specified ownership or control interest in a sanctioned entity.
Convicted of a misdemeanor relating to fraud, theft, embezzlement, or other financial misconduct in a health care program.
Suspended or debarred under federal or state law from participating in any federal or state procurement or non-procurement program.
Committed an act described in the anti-kickback statute, Stark law, or engaged in other prohibited referral or billing practices.
Convicted of fraud or false claims in any federal or state program.
Convicted of a criminal offense related to the delivery of items or services under a federal health care program (alternative citation).
Failed to provide medically necessary items or services when obligated under federal health care programs.
Convicted of a misdemeanor relating to the unlawful manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of a controlled substance.
Excluded based on recommendation of a Peer Review Organization (PRO) / Quality Improvement Organization (QIO).
Individual who had a direct or indirect ownership or control interest in a sanctioned entity at the time of the conduct that was the basis for the sanction.
Breached terms of a prior settlement agreement with HHS OIG.
Breached terms of a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS OIG.
Failed to supply requested information about payments or business transactions, subcontractors, or suppliers.
Excluded for a pattern of submitting claims or billing for services not provided as claimed.
Making false statements or misrepresenting material facts to federal agencies regarding health care matters.
Failed to grant immediate access to OIG for audit, records examination, or program evaluation.
Lowest Enforcement States
States with fewest serious disciplinary actions per 1,000 physicians
Patient Resources
Understand physician discipline and protect yourself as a patient
Free tools and step-by-step process for verifying physician background.
Understand the difference between revocations, suspensions, and less serious sanctions.
The complaint process, investigation timeline, and what triggers board action.
Explore the data
More ways to read state medical-board discipline and federal-exclusion records
All 50 states + DC ranked by serious physician-discipline rate
Per-state board contacts, discipline rate, and federal exclusions
What each federal-exclusion category means and how common it is
Federal exclusions ranked across every LEIE provider category
Data Sources
Discipline rate data is sourced from Public Citizen Health Research Group publication "Ranking of the Rate of State Medical Boards' Serious Disciplinary Actions" (HRG 2021-2023 report, covering 2021–2023). Physician count data is from the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) Physician Data Summary Statistics 2023. Board contact information sourced from official state government websites.
This is aggregate state-level statistical data, not individual physician records. For physician-specific license status, contact the state board directly using the links on each state page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are physician disciplinary actions?
Disciplinary actions are formal sanctions taken by state medical boards against physicians who violate medical practice laws. These can include license revocations, suspensions, probation, fines, or required education. Actions are reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank and become part of a physician's permanent record.
Where does this data come from?
Our data comes from Public Citizen's analysis of the National Practitioner Data Bank and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). These are the most comprehensive sources of physician disciplinary information in the United States.
Can I look up a specific doctor?
PlainDiscipline provides state-level aggregate data on disciplinary action rates, not individual physician records. To check a specific doctor, contact your state medical board directly or visit the NPDB (National Practitioner Data Bank) for self-query access.
Is this site free to use?
Yes. PlainDiscipline is completely free to use. No account, login, or payment required. The site is supported by advertising.
Research
Original analysis from our editorial team, every statistic derived from our own database. See all research.
Ohio Leads US Medical Boards: Top 10 State Discipline Rates
Public Citizen Health Research Group data shows Ohio (1.82 serious actions per 1,000 physicians per year), Wisconsin (1.49), and North Dakota (1.39) leading US states for board enforcement — more than a 10:1 spread over the lowest-ranked board, against a national average of 0.81 per 1,000.
Research82,602 HHS OIG LEIE Exclusions: Top Action-Type Categories
HHS OIG List of Excluded Individuals and Entities data shows 82,602 total exclusions with License Revocation or Suspension (32,980) and Program-Related Crime Conviction (25,417) dominating the top action-type categories.
ResearchLicensed Healthcare Professionals 20,257 Exclusions: Top Provider Categories
HHS OIG LEIE specialty breakdowns show Licensed Healthcare Professionals (20,257 actions 24.5%) Nursing (13,588 actions 16.5%) and Physicians (7,495 actions 9.1%) leading US healthcare-discipline categories — with 137 distinct specialty classifications tracked.