Jon Stockton, VP Sales, Healthcare
Although the importance of conducting thorough background screening is clear, it can be both complicated and confusing due to misconceptions and ever-changing regulations. In this blog, we’ll cover 5 common healthcare background screening myths and share how a background screening partner with healthcare expertise can help organizations navigate them.
Myth #1. Doing an SSN trace is enough to confirm a new hire’s identity.
Running an SSN trace is a great starting point when conducting a background check on healthcare candidates, but, in fact, SSN traces don’t verify that someone is really who they say they are. Social Security Number (SSN) traces are not a validation of a candidate’s identity; they really are reports created by the credit bureaus to identify names and addresses that have been reportedly linked to the SSN. In the context of background screening this product offering is often used to identify additional locations (counties and states) to search for criminal records history from the given addresses from the candidate and to identify possible additional/alternate names associated with the SSN.
Myth #2. You can use a standard urine 10-panel drug screen to detect commonly-abused pain medications.
A typical opiate screening only reports the presence of codeine and morphine. An expanded opiate panel, however, can detect other commonly-abused pain medications including Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Oxycodone and Oxymorphone. If detecting these drugs is important, it’s recommended that you use a 10 panel plus expanded opiates drug screening. First Advantage’s offers a robust portfolio of drug & occupational health screening services with healthcare industry compliance expertise. With our recent merger with Sterling, we will soon have a combined network of over 24,000 drug & occupational health screening sites.
Myth #3. Failing to verify a healthcare practitioner’s license status incurs minimal financial risk.
Not only can the financial risk be significant, but the longer a license issue goes undetected, the larger the financial penalty. Organizations have had to pay high settlements and fines for unknowingly employing unlicensed practitioners. When looking at the OIG Civil Monetary Penalty site, there are numerous records listed from tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars imposed on organizations ranging from skilled nursing facilities to dental practices. Compliance issues can also result from improperly-conducted license verifications. First Advantage uses automation enhancements combined with specialist outreach to deliver a smoother, faster verification experience. Our verification checks verify licenses at the primary source in order to meet compliance requirements. Additionally, we also provide license monitoring services to proactively monitor licenses before they expire.
Myth #4. Performing a monthly sanction check is the best way to mitigate regulatory exposure and reputational risk.
If a provider on staff participates in health care programs — including those submitting Medicare and Medicaid claims — and that provider becomes sanctioned, then organizations can accumulate steep fines daily. While a monthly sanctions check is better than no monitoring program at all, checking only once a month can expose organizations to legal, reputational, and financial risk. First Advantage automates ongoing proactive sanction checks at both the federal and state levels, including OIG, GSA, SAM, state sanctions, and other excluded provider lists. Monitoring board actions further reduces risk exposure by limiting the time lag between board decisions and publication of disciplinary actions.
Myth #5. States with ban-the-box laws prohibit asking candidates if they’ve been convicted of a crime during the background check.
Generally, ban-the-box laws (aka “Fair Chance” or “Fair Opportunity” laws) determine if employers are allowed to ask questions related to a candidate’s criminal history on the initial application. However, these laws do allow for inquiry later, typically after a conditional offer of employment has been made. Healthcare organizations need to make sure they’re aware of their city, county, and state ban-the-box laws before asking a candidate if they’ve been convicted of a crime.
Debunking Healthcare Background Check Myths
Healthcare organizations don’t have to bear the weight of managing these background screening requirements on their own. By working with a trusted provider offering healthcare-specific solutions and deep market expertise, employers can feel confident in making informed hiring decisions.
Learn more about First Advantage’s healthcare background check solutions
