Understanding A FACIS Level 3 Background Check

Patient safety increases when health care organizations thoroughly verify the identity, credentials, and backgrounds of their providers. The level of accuracy with which these screenings are conducted matters.

Since there is not a consolidated list of bad actors and fraudulent individuals who are skilled at hiding their identities, having many data sources is critical to establishing a complete picture of someone’s history. It not only prevents potential abuse from slipping through the cracks, but it also protects the reputation and good names of providers who might be misidentified through less rigorous searches.

What is a FACIS® Level 3 background check? What does it entail?

A Level 3 FACIS background check is the gold standard for exclusion screening, verification, and monitoring. This search includes the entire FACIS database with over 5,000 data sources including historical and state data, millions of individual records, and continuous updates.

Level 3 background checks include everything one would need for a complete screening as well as thousands of other records and databases. Over 76,000 records are added monthly, and FACIS also includes historical data dating back to 1992 and continues to monitor providers after their initial screening. FACIS searches can be delivered via the web platform or through a SFTP or other integration.

FACIS Level 3 background screening of federal sources

A check of government exclusion lists is essential because many healthcare groups receive financing from federal sources. Payments to those on the exclusion list are expensive in terms of legal fees and fines, there is a risk to patients, and there is a possibility of reputational damage.

As a result of the frequent updates to these databases, keeping up with the additions is a crucial component of continuous monitoring; FACIS retrieves the information as it is published. The platform from Verisys compares and compiles the data, cross-checking for mistakes and inconsistencies, and then produces an easy-to-read and use record.

Other databases included in a FACIS Level 3 search

A FACIS search looks for results or potential matches from all federal data sources including:

• OIG (OIG database verification)
• SAM (including SDN)
• FDA Disbarment
• DEA
• TRICARE
• FBI
• U.S. DOJ
• U.S. Treasury Dept
• U.S. State Dept

A FACIS Level 3 search also includes all state-level Federal Healthcare Entitlement Program (FHEP) sources such as: State Medicaid Exclusions, State Contractor Disqualification/Debarment Lists, HEAT Task Force News, State Attorney General News, Federal District – Attorney General News, and Medicare/Medicaid Opt-Out Lists.

Verisys is fully certified by both NCQA for 11 out of 11 certification services and URAC accredited. We hold ourselves to the highest data and industry standards and believe that Verisys and the FACIS platform deliver an honest and truthful image of a provider.

The goal of healthcare professionals, organizations, and others is to give patients high-quality care while safeguarding them against fraud and abuse. Your company and the people you serve will have peace of mind knowing that Verisys will make sure your providers have all the necessary credentials.

Learn more about how Verisys can assist your HCOs in meeting all government and regulatory standards.