What should I check besides a criminal background check before hiring?
Check the federal exclusion list (LEIE) before you hire, and keep checking. OIG says an employer who hires an excluded person can face civil money penalties. Also check references, work history, license or training proof, and the identity and work eligibility documents. Keep a record of every search.
A criminal check is one piece. Here is a fuller screen for a Medicaid agency.
- Exclusion list. The HHS Office of Inspector General keeps the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE). OIG says anyone who hires an excluded person may face civil monetary penalties, and it recommends routine checks of new hires and current staff. The list updates each month.
- How to search. Check spelling and former names, and confirm any match with a Social Security number. A name match alone is not enough. Keep a record of your searches.
- Georgia state checks. For licensed agencies, DCH’s system covers the nurse aide registry and sex offender registry.
- References. Call at least two former employers or supervisors.
- Work history. Georgia’s rule for private home care agencies asks you to keep a five-year employment history in the personnel file.
- Training proof. Certificates, if the person has them.
- Driving record and insurance, if the job includes driving clients.
Some owners screen the exclusion list every month. Your Medicaid program may require that, so ask.
Follow credit and background check laws when you use an outside screening company. Get written permission from the applicant first.
Sources
- Exclusions: tips for searching the LEIE · HHS Office of Inspector General
- Georgia Enacts New Background Check Legislation for Long-Term Care Providers · Arnall Golden Gregory LLP (law firm)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-65-.09, Administration and Organization (private home care providers) · Georgia Department of Community Health (rule text via Cornell LII)
- Georgia home care background checks · Vitable Health compliance library (secondary source)
Reviewed by Beth Bledsoe, Care Business Advisor®, 28 Oct 2026. Rules change. Confirm with your state Medicaid agency before you act.
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