Compliance checks are essential, and by now, healthcare, finance, and other high-risk organizations have understood this. Although there is still one topic that causes confusion and leads to discussions in boardrooms: how often exclusions screening should be conducted. The OIG (Office of Inspector General) updates its list on a monthly basis, but the healthcare workforce moves much faster than that. Leaving a gap could lead the organization to face charges. Therefore, choosing the right frequency matters a lot, often determined by an organization’s risk tolerance and available technology. Even though it’s hard to decide and risky in every way, there’s a solution as well.
The solution to the organization’s risky exposure, leading to penalties and charges due to a minor mistake or to its avoidance. It is to integrate automated exclusions screening for every employee, vendor, and entity involved in the organization. The criticality becomes even more severe in the healthcare sector, as patients’ safety is also on the line. In the comprehensive guide on screenings, we will explore and determine the optimal frequency at which this screening should be held to prevent an organization from being exposed to penalties and facing backlash.
What’s the Federal Government Baseline? Why is it required?
There are multiple government-maintained database lists of excluders. One should go through the list and verify themselves to say they have exclusion screening done. The OIG’s special advisory bulletin recommends monthly screening as the minimum standard for safe harbor, but there have been loopholes since its execution. The organizations are strictly prohibited from billing for items or services furnished by any excluded entity. If done, you are liable for repayments. However, if one has done a screening on the 1st of the month and someone from the organization gets excluded on the 2nd.
In that case, if an organization unknowingly bills services to an OIG excluded entity, it is liable for penalties from the moment of exclusion. Indicate that monthly screenings are a baseline, not an effective solution to follow, and mistakes like this are easy to make. Especially for large or high-turnover organizations, or for those that work across multiple states, running these screening checks is essential as often as possible. Automation has the edge over manual checks. Sometimes, the excluded entity may appear on the Medicaid list weeks before it appears on the federal LEIE, widening the gap.
Thus, an OIG check is easy to run frequently with automation across all lists. The automatic system generates the list within minutes, flags potential matches, and warns you when one is found. It further facilitates a thorough investigation of the flagged entity, making the organization’s work easier, faster, and smoother.
Role of Continuous Screening With Venops Automation Systems
Venops, as one of the leading online platforms, helps with OIG check through automation and SaaS (Software as a Service) integration. The integration of this high-end technology enables the screening process to be completed in minutes. It is no longer harder to check daily than it is to check monthly. Venops also offers continuous checks via its advanced technology and an email alert when a status changes. As an employer, you can take immediate action against excluded individuals and issue a removal order for them from the floor.
With Venops, automated autopilot screening, you can also get your latest screening report each month without fail. The exclusion screening is performed each month, as it automatically uses your most recent list of staff and entities. Additionally, you can choose the most recent databases of federal and state exclusion and sanction authorities, so nothing is missed. Take the first step and contact our team to onboard your organization for automation checks.
Final Words!
As suggested by federal authorities, monthly exclusions screening is mandated, and continuous screening is the best practice for risk management. Automation is the new trend across industries, and healthcare isn’t the only one that needs to implement these changes. Finance, tech, and many other sectors are also subject to making such changes. Avoiding it and delaying it only increases your organization’s risk of financial penalties. The screening costs of Venops software softatre os much less than the cost of missed exclusions screening.
If you are still waiting and searching for a reliable platform, end your search with Venops. Our advanced screening check you are in safe and reliable hands. We have been serving effectively since 2014, and have helped many clients save their precious time.
FAQs
Is Venops purely a software solution, or does human support come into play?
Venops blends superior technology and dedicated client support to deliver smooth compliance programs to our clients. We provide an automated platform for clients’ ease of use, but our team is also available to assist with onboarding, complex list management, and interpreting difficult data matches.
Is running a monthly screening legally sufficient?
The Special Advisory Bulletin from the OIG recommends monthly screening as a minimum standard to help secure organizations from penalties. However, liability exists from the exact day of the official exclusion enactment. Sticking strictly to a monthly schedule still carries a risk of a gap between OIG check. If an employee is excluded on the 2nd of the month and the check is not run until the 30th day, the organization is subject to a penalty for retaining the excluded entity for 28 days.
Why is it effective for a facility to choose daily or weekly screening over monthly?
Facilities with high turnover often rely heavily on temporary staffing agencies or those healthcare groups that operate in several states. Therefore, these facilities often run checks more frequently so they don’t leave any gap where excluded providers could slip through. These practices ensure that an OIG Excluded individual is identified and removed from the schedule. Before they can treat a single patient or generate a single claim in the facility’s name. Regular checks protect patient safety and the facility’s reputation, as employing an excluded individual can lead to public relations fallout.
How much time does it take to switch our current process to Venops?
Implementation with Venops is incredibly fast and seamless. It is done in less than 24 hours to get your account fully operational. The client can simply upload their employees and vendor lists in Excel or CSV format and get their automated screen start immediately. Our platform provides zero downtime in your compliance coverage. Ensuring you won’t miss a single check during the transition from the old provider to Venops.
Does Venops screen vendors and contractors, or just employees?
Venops is robustly designed to screen all relevant entities that receive payments from an organization, not just employees. Thereby, you, as an organization, can upload the list of vendors, contractors, referring providers, and even board members alongside your permanent staff. It is important to do as OIG holds organizations responsible for making payments to any third party, just as strictly as they do for payments made to your own excluded staff.
