What federal agencies handle complaints about healthcare or wellness scams and how do I file with them?
Executive summary
Federal responses to health and wellness scams are split across consumer-protection, public-health, and law-enforcement agencies: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) handles deceptive marketing and consumer fraud (see ReportFraud.ftc.gov) [1], the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) handles unlawful sales and false claims about products (MedWatch and internet reporting portals) [2] [3], and criminal investigations of insurance-billing and large health‑care fraud are led by the FBI and prosecuted with the Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit [4] [5]. State attorney general offices also take consumer complaints and often publish hotlines/online forms (examples: Pennsylvania and New York AGs) [6] [7].
1. Who enforces what — a quick guide
If the complaint is about deceptive advertising, bogus “cures,” or misleading wellness claims, file with the FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov); the FTC pursues unfair or deceptive business practices and has sued wellness and telemedicine firms for false treatment claims and deceptive marketing [1] [8] [9]. If a product sold online is unapproved, dangerous, or falsely marketed as a drug, device, or supplement, the FDA reviews and can act — it runs MedWatch for adverse events and an online portal for unlawful internet sales of medical products [3] [2] [10]. If the scam involves fraudulent billing to Medicare/Medicaid or complex insurance fraud, the FBI and HHS‑OIG/CMS are the primary investigators and enforcement partners (FBI is primary for health-care fraud; HHS‑OIG accepts Medicare/Medicaid fraud complaints) [4] [11] [12].
2. How to file with the FTC — what you should tell them
The FTC asks consumers to report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or via ftc.gov/complaint; complaints help the agency identify patterns and refer cases to law enforcement [1] [13]. Include the company name, web links, screenshots, dates, transaction details, and any communications (examples from FTC cases show the agency relies on ad and call records when suing businesses for deceptive practices) [8] [14].
3. How to file with the FDA — when a product or safety risk is central
Report unsafe, unapproved, or misbranded products through FDA’s online portals: the “Reporting Unlawful Sales of Medical Products on the Internet” form and MedWatch for adverse events; the FDA encourages screenshots, links, and supporting materials and will review anonymous reports [2] [3] [15]. Use these channels when a website is selling an unapproved drug, a tainted supplement, or a device with false claims [10] [16].
4. How to alert law enforcement and agencies when billing or identity theft is involved
If you see illegal billing to Medicare/Medicaid or suspect medical identity theft, HHS‑OIG’s hotline accepts complaints about fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare/Medicaid and HHS programs (call 1-800-HHS-TIPS or use their online hotline procedures) [11]. The FBI is the lead agency on larger health‑care fraud schemes and maintains the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for online fraud referrals; the FBI often partners with DOJ strike forces for prosecutions [4] [17] [5].
5. Phone, robocall, and phishing scams — an FCC angle
If the scam arrives by phone, robocall, or spoofed caller ID, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urges filing complaints to its Consumer Complaint Center and points consumers to the FTC as well [18] [19]. The FCC collects call data and can use it in coordination with other agencies focused on communications misuse [18].
6. State attorney general offices and local resources — why they matter
State Attorneys General regularly field complaints tied to marketplace open‑enrollment scams and fake websites and often publish hotlines and online complaint forms (Pennsylvania and New York AGs give phone numbers and online complaint options) [6] [7]. Filing with your state AG can trigger consumer‑protection investigations and state enforcement actions that federal agencies may not pursue [20] [21].
7. Practical filing checklist — what to gather before you report
Collect: dates, names, phone numbers, URLs, screenshots, emails, copies of ads, transaction receipts, bank statements, and any Medicare/insurance explanation-of-benefits (EOB) or bills. For product harms, include medical records or adverse‑event details for MedWatch [3] [22]. For misleading ads or membership schemes, include ad screenshots and enrollment terms for the FTC [9] [8].
8. What to expect after you file — coordination, referrals, and limits
Agencies funnel consumer reports into investigations, enforcement actions, or referrals to other authorities; the FTC and FDA collect complaints to spot patterns and bring civil suits or issue warnings, while the FBI and DOJ pursue criminal health‑care fraud [8] [16] [5]. Available sources do not detail precise timelines for individual complaint resolution; however, high‑volume programs (e.g., 1‑800‑MEDICARE fraud reporting) show the scale of incoming reports (over 246,000 beneficiary calls to Medicare fraud lines in 2025) [12].
If you want, I can draft short, copy‑and‑paste complaint templates tailored for the FTC, FDA MedWatch, HHS‑OIG, FBI/IC3, and your state AG using the specific fields each form requests.