Public Citizen · FSMB · 2021-2023 · LEIE August 2026

Physician disciplinary actions by state

How aggressively does each state discipline its physicians? We rank all 51 jurisdictions by serious medical-board actions per 1,000 licensed physicians, using Public Citizen and FSMB data for 2021-2023.

Compare a state board’s discipline rate

Place a state’s Public Citizen serious-action rate against the national rate or rankable median. This describes board-enforcement intensity, not physician misconduct or patient safety.

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The short answer

Ohio leads the serious-action rate; California leads serious-action volume (Public Citizen HRG 2021-2023).

Public Citizen Health Research Group and FSMB data put the national serious-action rate at 0.81 per 1,000 licensed physicians for 2021-2023 (3,735 actions across 51 jurisdictions). Higher rates measure board enforcement intensity, not misconduct prevalence. Rate leaders and volume leaders are not the same states. Separately, the live HHS OIG LEIE extract lists 83,695 federal healthcare-program exclusions.

Rate vs volume

According to the Public Citizen Health Research Group HRG 2021-2023 tables joined to the FSMB physician census, Ohio leads the serious-action RATE at 1.82 per 1,000 physicians (2.2x the national 0.81), while California leads VOLUME with 364 serious actions. Rate #1 is not volume #1. HHS OIG LEIE is a separate extract (83,695 federal exclusions).

1.82
Ohio rate /1k
364
California serious actions
0.81
National rate /1k
83,695
LEIE exclusions (August 2026)

Rates are annual averages of serious public board actions (2021-2023) over licensed physicians. Higher rates describe board enforcement intensity, not prevalence of misconduct. LEIE counts are the live federal extract.

How 51 jurisdictions split by serious-action rate band

Exclusive rate bands across every Public Citizen / FSMB jurisdiction in the extract, not the top-N enforcement ladder below.

According to the Public Citizen Health Research Group, state medical boards took 3,735 serious disciplinary actions against physicians nationwide from 2021 to 2023. See our methodology for the full source list. HHS OIG LEIE, refreshed most recently in August 2026, is a separate federal-exclusion extract (83,695 rows).

State rankings of doctor discipline rates per 1k physicians (2021-2023), from Public Citizen + FSMB data, with guides to verify actions.

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. The dial isolates the #1 state's multiple of that same baseline.

Disparity ratio: state rate ÷ national rate

Ohio2.25×Wisconsin1.84×North Dakota1.72×Michigan1.69×Illinois1.67×Alabama1.65×
Source: Public Citizen HRG 2021-2023 report joined to FSMB Physician Census 2023. Disparity ratios are descriptive; a higher rate may reflect more active board oversight rather than more physician misconduct.
National (=1.0×)2.3×
Ohio at 1.82/1k = 2.25× the national 0.81/1k baseline (Public Citizen HRG 2021-2023).

Highest enforcement rates

Serious disciplinary actions per 1,000 physicians (Public Citizen HRG 2021-2023). Volume leaders live on each state page.

All states →
#StateRate /1kSerious actions
1OhioState Medical Board of Ohio1.82290
2WisconsinWisconsin Medical Examining Board1.49144
3North DakotaNorth Dakota Board of Medicine1.3924
4MichiganMichigan Board of Medicine1.37186
5IllinoisIllinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation - Medicine1.35230
6AlabamaAlabama Board of Medical Examiners1.3483
7KentuckyKentucky Board of Medical Licensure1.2987
8WashingtonWashington State Medical Commission1.17116

Types of Disciplinary Actions

From most to least severe, actions taken by state medical boards

Disciplinary action volume by type, sized by total count nationally Treemap of 22 categories, sized proportional to value. License Revocation or Suspension 33,327 Conviction: Program-Related Crime 25,916 Conviction: Pa… 8,090 Conviction… 5,842 Conviction: C… 3,585 Managed Care Def…Entity C…Misde…
Disciplinary action volume by type, sized by total count nationally
License Revocation or Suspension 33,327

Had license to provide health care revoked or suspended by a state licensing authority, or surrendered license while a formal disciplinary proceeding was pending.

Conviction: Program-Related Crime 25,916

Convicted of a criminal offense related to the delivery of an item or service under Medicare, Medicaid, or other state health care program.

Conviction: Patient Abuse or Neglect 8,090

Convicted of a criminal offense relating to neglect or abuse of patients in connection with the delivery of a health care item or service.

Conviction: Healthcare Fraud 5,842

Convicted of a felony relating to fraud, theft, embezzlement, breach of fiduciary responsibility, or other financial misconduct in a health care program.

Conviction: Controlled Substance 3,585

Convicted of a felony relating to the unlawful manufacture, distribution, prescription, or dispensing of a controlled substance.

Managed Care Default 2,158

Default on health education loan or scholarship obligations, or default by managed care entity on contractual obligations.

Entity Controlled by Sanctioned Individual 1,488

Entity owned or controlled by an individual who has been excluded, or who has a specified ownership or control interest in a sanctioned entity.

Misdemeanor: Healthcare Fraud 941

Convicted of a misdemeanor relating to fraud, theft, embezzlement, or other financial misconduct in a health care program.

Exclusion or Debarment by Federal Agency 806

Suspended or debarred under federal or state law from participating in any federal or state procurement or non-procurement program.

Fraud, Kickbacks, or Prohibited Activities 741

Committed an act described in the anti-kickback statute, Stark law, or engaged in other prohibited referral or billing practices.

Misdemeanor: Federal or State Program Fraud 330

Convicted of fraud or false claims in any federal or state program.

Conviction: Program-Related Crime (Alt) 172

Convicted of a criminal offense related to the delivery of items or services under a federal health care program (alternative citation).

Failure to Provide Items or Services 77

Failed to provide medically necessary items or services when obligated under federal health care programs.

Misdemeanor: Controlled Substance 67

Convicted of a misdemeanor relating to the unlawful manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of a controlled substance.

Peer Review Organization Recommendation 53

Excluded based on recommendation of a Peer Review Organization (PRO) / Quality Improvement Organization (QIO).

Controlling a Sanctioned Entity 37

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.

Breach of Settlement Agreement 28

Breached terms of a prior settlement agreement with HHS OIG.

Breach of Corporate Integrity Agreement 13

Breached terms of a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS OIG.

Failure to Supply Payment Information 13

Failed to supply requested information about payments or business transactions, subcontractors, or suppliers.

Incorrect Billing for Physician Services 8

Excluded for a pattern of submitting claims or billing for services not provided as claimed.

Making False Statements 2

Making false statements or misrepresenting material facts to federal agencies regarding health care matters.

Failure to Grant Immediate Access 1

Failed to grant immediate access to OIG for audit, records examination, or program evaluation.

Lowest enforcement rates

Fewest serious disciplinary actions per 1,000 physicians among rankable boards

All states →
#StateRate /1kSerious actions
51IndianaIN0.1716
50GeorgiaGA0.2430
49PennsylvaniaPA0.3060
48DelawareDE0.317
47South CarolinaSC0.3425

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.

The state and national rates above are aggregate statistical data, not individual physician records. Named individual entries shown on this site's action-type pages come from a separate source, the public federal HHS OIG LEIE exclusion list, and are not a comprehensive record for any specific physician. For physician-specific license status, contact the state board directly using the links on each state page.

About this data

How PlainDiscipline works, and why you can trust these numbers

What this site is

PlainDiscipline tracks physician disciplinary action rates across all 51 US states, using Public Citizen Health Research Group's analysis of state medical board serious-disciplinary-action data alongside Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) licensed-physician counts. Every rate on this site traces back to these two federal-adjacent public data sources.

Editorial process

  1. Source. Pull the Public Citizen Health Research Group state-medical-board disciplinary-action ranking alongside FSMB licensed-physician counts.
  2. Verify. Each state figure keeps its original source identifiers, so every rate traces back to the issuing organization's own record.
  3. Publish. Compile per-state disciplinary-action rates and federal exclusion data in context, always linking back to the official source so readers can verify our numbers against it.

Editorial independence & corrections

PlainDiscipline is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with Public Citizen, the Federation of State Medical Boards, or any state medical board. We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement. Found a figure that looks wrong? Use the contact page with the page URL and the value that looks off, we compare it against the published source and correct our pipeline (not just the single page) if the error is on our side. See our editorial & corrections policy and methodology for the full process and source attribution.

Frequently asked

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?

Our state and national disciplinary-action RATES are aggregate, state-level statistics, not a physician lookup tool. Separately, our action-type pages list individual entries from the public federal HHS OIG LEIE exclusion list (covering all provider types, not just physicians) -- these are a different data source than the state-board rates and are not comprehensive board-discipline histories. To check a specific physician's full board-discipline history, 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.

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?

Our state and national disciplinary-action RATES are aggregate, state-level statistics, not a physician lookup tool. Separately, our action-type pages list individual entries from the public federal HHS OIG LEIE exclusion list (covering all provider types, not just physicians) -- these are a different data source than the state-board rates and are not comprehensive board-discipline histories. To check a specific physician's full board-discipline history, 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.

Public Record Notice: This data is sourced from state medical board public records via Public Citizen Health Research Group and FSMB. Disciplinary data reflects aggregate statistics and does not include individual physician information. Always verify current license status directly with the state medical board before making healthcare decisions.

PlainDiscipline does not invent NPDB individual records or live license status. Confirm a named clinician on the state board lookup and the verification guide. Figures here are for informational purposes and do not constitute medical or legal advice.

Source: Public Citizen Health Research Group + Federation of State Medical Boards + HHS OIG HRG serious board-action rates, FSMB physician census, OIG LEIE extract · 2021-2023 / live LEIE State rates are aggregate board figures; LEIE exclusions are a separate federal extract.

Data currency: Physician disciplinary actions compiled from Federation of State Medical Boards records, reflecting data through 2023, last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.

Verify this page

According to the Public Citizen Health Research Group, the Federation of State Medical Boards, and the HHS Office of Inspector General, serious board-action rates and federal exclusions are published in fixed reporting windows. Every figure on PlainDiscipline is rebuilt from those Public Citizen / FSMB board-rate tables and the OIG LEIE extract; no number is typed in by an editor. Homepage KPIs, state ratios, and LEIE totals are computed live from the Public Citizen / FSMB / OIG tables in this portal's database. Data current as of August 2026.

Source set
Public Citizen · FSMB · HHS OIG
Data status
Current as of August 2026
Correction context
This page’s local route is attached

Board rates and LEIE exclusions are published regulatory counts for a fixed reporting window - not physician-quality rankings, medical advice, licensing recommendations, or real-time board-case status. Data changelog