To fulfill all the rules and regulations set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs, the Office of Inspector General maintains a list of excluded individuals and entities(LEIE).
Exclusion screening is an inevitable step taken to get verification for healthcare employees, owners, vendors, and contractors. The verification is about not getting banned or forbidden from utilizing the perks of federal or state healthcare programs. Instead, it’s making sure of safe and secure treatment from qualified entities or individuals that follow all the regulations.
It’s a very crucial screening test for healthcare providers, and one must go through it. The best thing about the test is that once it gets done, it lasts for a minimum of 5 years. However, there will be regular checkups of the working entities and individuals.
Why Does Exclusion Screening Matter?
To understand why screening matters? Let’s take a real-life example. Suppose you book a cab and the driver has an accident history; will you be comfortable sitting in the backseat? Probably not, and the same goes for healthcare screening. Screening exclusion in healthcare ensures all departments are functioning smoothly and safely.
The following are the major verticals where it plays a crucial role:
Patient Safety–
It is the utmost priority taken care of by OIG screening. The exclusion test ensures the identification of the individual, organization, and vendors that help prohibit the excluded body from getting near patients. This makes patients free from any kind of risk and ensures they receive quality treatment. Also, it prevents them from taking financial benefits provided by the state government.
Civil Monetary Penalties & Potential Prosecution–
Knowingly or unknowingly, if any individual or organization misses a screening test, then the body will face penalties and prosecution processes. It keeps the function of each step smooth and makes all the ends free to go. Also, if anyone is guilty of not following the rules, then the organization, vendors, or individuals will be added to the OIG exclusion list. Also, they will end their credibility and trust among patients and the OIG workforce.
Compliance–
All healthcare facility providers are legally accountable to the government. Be it medical equipment, employees, or medicine, all must be fully in compliance with the federal or state healthcare program rules. Anything missing or any mismanagement will directly affect the working freedom of healthcare providers. So, whether you are dealing with new vendors or employees, safety checking must always be a high priority.
Importance of Exclusion Screening in Healthcare
The federal department acknowledges the value of health, so it makes sure each one follows all the regulations. As a hospital manager or owner, you should always make sure each detail of your employees and each piece of equipment you are getting, either from a vendor or contractor, is right. After all, it is a question of the patient’s health.
Getting medicine or any tools from an excluded body will damage the reputation of your organization, put trust at risk, impose financial constraints, and legal consequences. So, getting a full-fledged screening will help identify and eliminate any kind of risk. It’s also important that screening is equally applicable to the inner body as well as doctors, nurses, lab assistants, and other staff.
So, it clearly states the importance of screening in healthcare. To make the process smoother and faster, organizations or businesses can get an Exclusion List OIG. It will save lots of time and effort.
Exclusion Screening Working Steps
Exclusions screening takes care of full patient care from the initial to the final point. It keeps checking and tracking the work of the healthcare providers, contractors, and vendors. Also, it makes sure that if anyone is added to the exclusion list database (banned from participating in federally funded programs), and differentiates them accordingly.
To make work fast and error-free, it involves multiple checks of the OIG list of excluded entities/individuals (LEIE) and the system for award management (SAM).
The following are the working steps of the full exclusion screening:
- Initial Screening: It involves an OIG check across the database when a healthcare provider is hired, whether it is a vendor, contractor, or even an individual.
- Ongoing Screening: After getting hired by a healthcare provider, the next important step is the regular check of the exclusion databases like the OIG LEIE and SAM. It ensures continued compliance.
- Verification: The next important step that needs to be taken after the screening steps is verification. It verifies the identity of the entity or individual with the help of a Social Security number, resident, and state verification list.
- Record Keeping: It is a highly important step to maintain the records of health providers. Whether one is added to the exclusion or not, keeping records makes the process faster and more efficient for the present and the future as well.
After conducting all steps, if any individual or entity is found violating federal rules, they will be added to the exclusion list. It means one can’t receive any kind of money or support from federal or state healthcare programs. Certainly, all the above steps of OIG screening are important.
Venops: Your Trusted Partner for Exclusion Screening and OIG Exclusion
Getting assurance of the fine working of each department of a healthcare organization is very important. Whether getting federal health benefits or providing valuable service to the patient, each needs to be passed through the exclusion screening steps.
What used to take days and hours now happens in seconds. At Venops, we have a great team of excellent individuals who take care of different steps, and we are proud to say that we have served thousands of healthcare organizations. It doesn’t matter if you want an OIG exclusion list, sanction checks, or OIG screening; we provide all with the latest data updates.
We aim to provide the best healthcare services. Our services decrease the new hiring load and enhance the productivity of the organization. For any questions or doubts, feel free to contact us.
