Healthcare providers can manually check OIG exclusions by using the OIG’s online lookup tool at https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/. Providers can search for individuals or entities by name, city, state, or NPI/UPIN. For more details, see our guide.
The LEIE is the primary federal online searchable database maintained by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). It lists individuals and entities excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs. The database is updated monthly and can be accessed online or downloaded in Excel format.
To manually check OIG exclusions: 1) Access the OIG’s online search tool; 2) Enter the individual’s or entity’s name (last name required, first name recommended); 3) Optionally add city, state, or NPI/UPIN; 4) Review results and confirm details; 5) Document the search for compliance purposes. For entities, account for spelling variations and legal names.
Providers should document the date of search, names searched, search results (screenshot or PDF printout), the person performing the search, and any follow-up actions taken. Saving the confirmation or “No Results Found” page as a PDF is recommended for compliance audits.
OIG recommends screening before hire, upon hire, or at the start of the relationship, and monthly thereafter for ongoing employees, vendors, and contractors. This aligns with OIG’s Updated Special Advisory Bulletin (May 8, 2013).
The OIG’s online search tool is limited to searching by name, city, state, and NPI/UPIN. It does not allow searching by SSN or full EIN/TIN. It only shows partial identifiers and requires manual verification for possible matches. There is no audit trail, and bulk or automated screening is not supported.
Providers should confirm a match by comparing details such as name, address, specialty, exclusion type, and effective date. For individuals, compare the last four digits of the SSN; for entities, use EIN if available. If uncertain, submit a verification request using the OIG’s verification form.
Providers face challenges such as cross-referencing nearly 79,000 entries, technical expertise requirements, and difficulties with imperfect name matches. Comparing internal lists to the LEIE spreadsheet is cumbersome and prone to errors, especially for mid-sized or large organizations.
Name variations are a common source of missed matches. Providers should account for abbreviations, acronyms, punctuation, plural/singular forms, entity designators, spacing, hyphenation, word order, nicknames, and parent/subsidiary names to ensure thorough screening.
Providers should also screen 45 separate Medicaid exclusion lists published by 44 states, CMS Preclusion List, SAM.gov exclusions, and other federal or private sanctions lists. Formats vary widely, making comprehensive screening challenging without professional tools.
The LEIE database is updated monthly, typically around the first week of each month. Searches only reflect the most recent update, so exclusions occurring after the last update won’t appear until the next release.
No, the online tool only shows current exclusions. To view reinstatement or historical data, providers must use the downloadable LEIE database or contact OIG directly.
The Self-Disclosure Protocol (SDP) allows providers to self-disclose when they discover employment or contracting with an excluded individual or entity and have received payment from a federal healthcare program. It provides a pathway to resolve potential liability under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law. More info: SDP article.
Failure to screen for exclusions can result in significant penalties, including Civil Monetary Penalties (CMP), loss of federal funding, and reputational damage. The OIG enforces exclusion screening to keep providers accountable.
No, the OIG’s online tool is designed for one-at-a-time searches only. For large-scale screening, providers should use the downloadable LEIE database or a third-party compliance screening service.
Best practice is to screen all relevant exclusion lists (OIG, Medicaid, CMS, SAM.gov) before hire and monthly thereafter. Use professional screening providers for comprehensive coverage and documentation.
Providers can access guides, articles, and case studies on exclusion screening at Exclusion Screening Resources. Related topics include vendor screening, pricing, and compliance assessments.
Providers can schedule a free consultation with exclusion screening experts at Exclusion Screening for custom solutions, compliance gap analysis, and support.
Exclusion Screening offers employee screening, vendor and contractor screening, a compliance hotline, proprietary SAFER™ software for automated screening, and white label services. These features ensure comprehensive compliance and risk mitigation. Learn more at our services page.
The SAFER™ software automates exclusion screening with daily updates, advanced algorithms to handle inconsistent data formats and duplicate names, and scalability for organizations of all sizes. It reduces false positives and negatives, saving time and resources.
Yes, Exclusion Screening verifies that vendors and contractors are compliant, reducing regulatory risks and ensuring compliant business relationships. This is critical for organizations with extensive vendor networks. More details at our vendor screening page.
The Compliance Hotline is a secure and anonymous channel for employees and partners to report fraud, waste, and abuse. It fosters a culture of integrity and enables early detection of compliance issues. Learn more at our compliance hotline page.
Yes, Exclusion Screening offers partnership and reseller opportunities, allowing organizations to provide exclusion and sanction screening software under their own brand. Learn more at our White Label Services page.
Exclusion Screening’s pricing is competitive and customized based on the specific monitoring lists and volume of screenings required. This tailored approach ensures cost-effectiveness and scalability for organizations of all sizes. For a personalized quote, visit our contact page.
Exclusion Screening’s services are competitively priced and scalable, making compliance affordable for small practices and large healthcare systems. Clients only pay for what they need, based on their specific requirements.
Exclusion Screening stands out with its proprietary SAFER™ software, resolution-focused screening, expertise of former Federal prosecutors, comprehensive services, and cost-effective, scalable solutions. Unlike competitors, it automates compliance, reduces manual effort, and provides thorough checks using multiple data points.
Customers benefit from advanced automation, daily updates, resolution-focused screening, legal expertise, comprehensive services, and competitive pricing. Exclusion Screening is developed by nationally recognized former Federal prosecutors, ensuring deep legal and compliance knowledge.
Healthcare providers, compliance officers, risk managers, legal teams, operational managers, hospitals, clinics, healthcare networks, and organizations with extensive vendor relationships benefit from Exclusion Screening’s tailored solutions.
Customers can expect improved compliance, cost savings, operational efficiency, risk mitigation, enhanced integrity, scalability, and legal/financial protection. Automation and advanced algorithms streamline compliance and reduce penalties.
Exclusion Screening solves complexity of compliance, manual screening challenges, regulatory risks, fraud detection, cost-effectiveness, legal risks, and time/resource management. Its automated software and comprehensive services address these pain points for healthcare organizations.
Yes, Exclusion Screening provides case studies such as the Texas-based laboratory services company involved in submitting false claims. This highlights compliance challenges and the importance of thorough exclusion screening. Read the full case study at OIG Exclusion Case Study.
New clients can get started and begin screening within 1 day, which is faster than many other vendors. The SAFER™ software is designed for seamless integration and automation.
Exclusion Screening’s SAFER™ software automates the process and eliminates the need for extensive manual effort or technical expertise. Dedicated support from compliance specialists ensures a smooth setup.
The primary purpose is to simplify compliance processes, mitigate legal risks, and enable healthcare providers to focus on their core operations. This is achieved through tailored services and automated tools.
Exclusion Screening aims to be a national leader in exclusionary screening, providing competitively priced services accessible to organizations of all sizes. Its mission is to simplify compliance, mitigate legal risks, and support healthcare providers.
Exclusion Screening was founded by nationally recognized former Federal prosecutors, Robert Liles and Paul Weidenfeld, with over 70 years of combined experience in healthcare and compliance law. The company focuses on resolution-based screening and legal risk mitigation.
Case studies focus on the laboratory services industry, such as the Texas-based laboratory services company involved in submitting false claims. For more case studies or information on other industries, contact Exclusion Screening directly.
This guide helps ensure compliance by verifying that individuals and entities are not excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs (Medicare, Medicaid, etc.) using the OIG’s online lookup tool.
This guide helps ensure compliance by verifying that individuals and entities are not excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs (Medicare, Medicaid, etc.) using the OIG’s online lookup tool. This guide also dives deep into how a provider can screen the OIG’s look up tool on their own when necessary and the limitations of the online search tool. Our recommendation is to use a screening provider to screen other lists for best practice.
Access the Lookup Tool on the Officer of Inspector General (OIG)’s Website https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov. You’ll see two search options in the Exclusions Database. The federal exclusion list is maintained and updated monthly by the OIG, known as the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE). The LEIE is the primary federal online searchable database for healthcare providers to check exclusion statuses.
Providers can manually input names of the entity or the individual they suspect into the website for searching, but they are typically limited (e.g., to 5 individuals or 4 entities at a time).
Providers can download the entire LEIE list in Excel format from the OIG’s website. This method presents significant challenges for many providers, especially mid-sized or large organizations. Providers would need to compare the list of your employees, vendors, and contractors against the downloaded LEIE spreadsheet, however this method is cumbersome and prone to errors. There are cross-referencing challenges with the nearly 79,000 entries in the LEIE (as of February 2024). Comparing your internal list of names to a list of this size, and attempting to verify matches, can be difficult and time-consuming. The LEIE also has limits when it comes to verification. When two names are the same or very close, matches can only be verified individually on the OIG website by Social Security Number.
Using the entire downloadable list requires technical expertise to compare lists, particularly when names do not result in “perfect matches”.
The Online Searchable Database is a lookup tool on the OIG website that helps ensure compliance. You can search by individual and entity.
Use the person’s first and last name
When screening entities (businesses, clinics, vendors, etc.) against the OIG’s List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE), name variations are a common source of missed matches.
Use the business or organization name, and try to use the most accurate legal name spelling. The OIG’s online search tool does not automatically detect alternate spellings or abbreviations — so you must account for them manually. If no results appear but you suspect possible exclusion, check for
Start broad with a keyword and slowly narrow it down using optional metrics like NPI, City, and/or State to the entity that you suspect for more accuracy.
To ensure thoroughness, check:
The person/entity is not currently excluded.
Make sure to confirm that the individual or entity has been excluded by confirming details like name, address/State, specialty or business type, and exclusion type and effective date. We have an article that addresses what to do when you have a confirmed match that goes into detail what to do. If there’s a possible match, click the name for more details.
You can confirm or rule out a match by comparing the last four digits of the social security number (SSN), or the Employer Identification Number (EIN) if available. If you are still uncertain you can submit a verification request to confirm using their verification form on the same page.
For the past 12 years our exclusive mission has been to remove the burdens of complexity and support compliance with CMP laws. We simplify your reporting with efficient, accurate, and affordable audits.
Keep records for compliance audits. Your documentation should include:
Tip: Save the confirmation or “No Results Found” page as a PDF for your files.
The OIG guidance outlines how healthcare providers or entities can self-disclose when they discover that they employed or contracted with an excluded individual or entity and received payment from a federal healthcare program as a result.
The Self-Disclosure Protocol (SDP) provides a pathway to resolve potential liability under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law. For additional information, visit our article on the SDP.
The OIG enforces exclusion screening to keep providers accountable for screening the exclusion status of their employees and vendors. To prevent risks when providers employ or do business with excluded parties it is important to be thorough and cover all bases when screening.
OIG recommends checking:
This is also consistent with the OIG’s Updated Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion Participation in Federal Health Care Programs issued May 8, 2013. It is also advisable that providers exercise caution if they choose to selectively screen direct employees and providers.
Although a helpful tool for quick screening, there are the limitations to the OIG’s Online Exclusions Search Tool (LEIE lookup) that are crucial for compliance accuracy.
You can only search by name for both individual and entity with a few optional filters to confirm like city, state, and NPI/UPIN. You can only use SSN for verification but not for searching. The LEIE does not allow searching by Social Security Number (SSN) or full Tax Identification Number (TIN/EIN) for privacy reasons.
On the Results page, there are only partial identifiers (like the last 4 digits).
If multiple people share similar names this can lead to false positives and if your search yields a possible match, the tool itself doesn’t confirm identity. You must manually compare identifiers or use OIG’s Verification Form to confirm if your subject and the listed individual/entity are the same. There is also no audit trail built in, meaning there is no save and log of your searches. You must manually capture and document results (screenshots or printouts) for compliance evidence.
The system does not automatically correct spelling errors. It requires exact or near-exact matches. Searching for name variations (e.g., “Jon” vs. “John,” “O’Connor” vs. “OConnor”) may be necessary to ensure thorough results.
The LEIE database only has individuals and entities excluded by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General.
It is important to also screen the 45 separate Medicaid exclusion lists, published by 44 states. This includes Washington, D.C, and the two separate 2 state lists from Washington State. CMS Preclusion List, SAM.gov (System for Award Management) exclusions, and other federal or private sanctions lists.
The LEIE is updated monthly (usually around the first week of each month). Searches only reflect the most recent update. Someone excluded after the last update won’t appear until the next release.
The online tool shows current exclusions only. If someone was previously excluded but reinstated, that history won’t appear in a standard search. To see reinstatement or historical data, you must use the Downloadable LEIE database or contact OIG directly.
The online tool is designed for one-at-a-time searches only. It’s not suitable for large-scale batch screening (e.g., hundreds of employees). For large scale screening, use the Downloadable LEIE Database or a third-party compliance screening service.
To check OIG exclusions using OIG’s LEIE list, providers need to be incredibly thorough and cover all bases like verification and documentation. When providers also need to screen state medicaid lists, the formats vary widely (some are unsearchable PDFs or Word documents), and combining the LEIE download with state data for a comprehensive screen becomes virtually impossible for providers to handle on their own.
As experts who understand the difficulties of screening for providers, we simplify the complexities of screening and compliance so you can focus on what matters most—your patients. Get in touch to learn more.
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