Compliance services

FACIS Level 3 healthcare sanctions screening

The most comprehensive healthcare exclusion screening available. Search 2,000+ federal and state sanctions sources to protect your organization and your patients.

2,000+ sanctions sources1 to 2 day turnaroundAll 50 state Medicaid lists
Two doctors reviewing a patient record on a laptop in a hospital office
Most FACIS Level 3 results return within one to two business days.
Healthcare compliance

What is FACIS Level 3?

FACIS (Fraud and Abuse Control Information System) Level 3 is the most thorough healthcare exclusion screening available. It searches over 2,000 federal and state sanctions sources, disciplinary actions, and exclusion lists to determine whether an individual has been sanctioned or excluded by a healthcare regulatory body.

Organizations participating in Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal healthcare programs are required to screen employees and contractors against the OIG exclusion list. FACIS Level 3 goes beyond the basic OIG/SAM check.

Level 1, basic

OIG and GSA/SAM exclusion lists only.

Level 2, standard

Level 1 plus FDA debarment, DEA, and state Medicaid.

Level 3, comprehensive

All of Level 2 plus 2,000+ state licensing boards and regulatory sanctions.

Who needs it

Who needs FACIS Level 3?

Hospitals and health systemsCredentialing and compliance.
Home health and hospiceCMS conditions of participation.
Nursing facilitiesFederal certification requirements.
Behavioral healthLicensing and accreditation.
Pharma and medical devicesVendor compliance programs.
Any Medicare or Medicaid billerRequired for federal program participation.
How it works

How the FACIS Level 3 screening process works

Catapult handles every step of the FACIS screening process, from ordering through results delivery, so your compliance team can focus on decisions rather than logistics.

Submit your orderProvide the subject’s name, date of birth, and address history. Catapult’s secure portal accepts individual or batch orders with role-based access controls for your credentialing team.
FCRA-compliant consentFor employment screening, proper applicant authorization is obtained in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Our process includes compliant disclosure forms and authorization documents designed to protect your organization.
Comprehensive database searchCatapult simultaneously queries 2,000+ federal and state exclusion sources, including OIG, GSA/SAM, FDA debarment, DEA, all 50 state Medicaid exclusion lists, state licensing board disciplinary records, and additional regulatory sanctions databases.
Adjudication and reportingResults are returned with clear pass, match, and review flags. Positive hits include the source database, exclusion type, and effective dates. Our team is available to assist with ambiguous matches, including common name disambiguation and identity verification.
Documentation and recordkeepingResults are stored in your secure portal for audit readiness. CMS, OIG, and accreditation bodies expect documented evidence of screening, and Catapult’s reports are formatted for immediate use in your compliance files and credentialing packets.
Sources searched

What sources does a FACIS Level 3 report search?

FACIS Level 3 is the only healthcare screening that searches all of the following in a single report. Each source category represents a distinct regulatory risk area.

Federal exclusion listsOIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE), GSA System for Award Management (SAM), Tricare Exclusion List.
Federal regulatory bodiesFDA Debarment List, DEA Controlled Substances, EPLS and federal civil actions.
State Medicaid exclusionsAll 50 state Medicaid exclusion lists, state agency fraud alerts, state program integrity units.
State licensing boardsPhysician and nursing boards, pharmacy, dental, and PT boards, social work and behavioral health.
Disciplinary actionsLicense revocations and suspensions, probations and restrictions, consent orders and reprimands.
Additional sanctionsCivil monetary penalties (CMPs), corporate integrity agreement lookups, healthcare-specific debarment records.
The difference

OIG check vs FACIS Level 3: what is the difference?

Many organizations check only the OIG LEIE and SAM databases and believe they have met their compliance obligations. That leaves significant exposure. FACIS Level 3 covers sources that a basic OIG check misses entirely.

A healthcare worker can be excluded from a state Medicaid program or have their professional license revoked by a state board and still pass an OIG-only check. FACIS Level 3 surfaces these records because it reaches into the 2,000+ sources the federal lists do not touch.

For organizations subject to CMS Conditions of Participation, Joint Commission standards, or NCQA accreditation, FACIS Level 3 is the recognized standard for meeting exclusion screening obligations.

Swipe to compare

Data sourceOIG onlyFACIS L3FULL
OIG / SAMYesYes
FDA DebarmentNoYes
State Medicaid exclusionsNoYes
State licensing boardsNoYes
License revocationsNoYes
Civil monetary penaltiesNoYes
Cadence

How often should you run FACIS screening?

A point-in-time FACIS check at hire is not sufficient for ongoing compliance. An employee or vendor can be sanctioned at any time, and you will not know unless you check again.

At hire: pre-employment screening

Required before any individual begins providing services that could be billed to federal healthcare programs. CMS guidance requires this for all new hires and contractors.

Monthly: re-screening

OIG guidance recommends monthly re-screening of all current employees and contractors. The OIG updates its exclusion list monthly, and your organization can be held liable for payments made during any month an excluded individual was active.

As needed: credentialing re-verification

Joint Commission and NCQA standards require re-credentialing every two years. Many healthcare systems run a full FACIS Level 3 check at each credentialing cycle as part of their privileging documentation.

FAQs

FACIS Level 3 frequently asked questions

What is a FACIS background check?
A FACIS (Fraud and Abuse Control Information System) background check is a specialized healthcare exclusion screening that searches federal and state databases to determine whether an individual has been sanctioned, excluded, or debarred from participation in Medicare, Medicaid, or other government healthcare programs. FACIS Level 3 is the most comprehensive version, searching over 2,000 sources including all 50 state Medicaid exclusion lists and state professional licensing board records.
Who is legally required to perform FACIS screening?
Any organization that receives reimbursement from Medicare or Medicaid is required to screen employees and contractors against the OIG LEIE. This includes hospitals, physician practices, home health agencies, nursing facilities, behavioral health providers, pharmacies, durable medical equipment suppliers, and any entity billing federal healthcare programs. Many accreditation bodies, including The Joint Commission and NCQA, specify FACIS Level 3 as the standard for meeting these obligations.
What is the difference between FACIS Level 1, 2, and 3?
FACIS Level 1 searches only the OIG and GSA/SAM exclusion lists. FACIS Level 2 adds FDA debarment, DEA, and state Medicaid exclusion databases. FACIS Level 3 includes everything in Level 2 plus all 50 state professional licensing board records, disciplinary actions, license revocations, consent orders, and additional regulatory sanctions. For organizations credentialing clinical staff or subject to CMS oversight, Level 3 is the appropriate standard.
How long does a FACIS Level 3 check take?
Most FACIS Level 3 results are returned within one to two business days. Because FACIS searches proprietary compiled databases rather than manually contacting each source, turnaround is fast, typically faster than a standard criminal background check that requires court record retrieval. Rush processing is available for urgent credentialing situations.
Can FACIS screening be used for vendor and contractor compliance?
Yes. OIG guidance makes clear that exclusion screening obligations extend to independent contractors, vendors, and any individual whose services may be billed to federal healthcare programs, not just W-2 employees. Many organizations run FACIS Level 3 on all healthcare staffing agency employees, locum tenens physicians, therapy contractors, and managed care vendors as part of their ongoing compliance program.
What happens if I employ someone who is excluded?
Employing an OIG-excluded individual and billing federal programs for their services can result in civil monetary penalties of up to $20,000 per item or service, plus three times the amount claimed, plus program exclusion for your organization. The OIG does not consider good-faith mistakes as a defense if the employer failed to screen, which is why documented monthly re-screening is essential.
Is FACIS screening an FCRA consumer report?
FACIS screening conducted for employment purposes is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This means proper disclosure and authorization must be obtained before ordering a FACIS check for an applicant or employee, and adverse action procedures must be followed if the results affect an employment decision. Catapult’s process includes FCRA-compliant forms and workflows to protect your organization and the subject of the report.
Does Catapult offer ongoing monthly FACIS monitoring?
Yes. Catapult offers automated monthly re-screening programs that run your entire employee and contractor roster against updated exclusion databases each month. You receive exception reports only when a new exclusion or disciplinary action is detected, eliminating manual tracking while maintaining the documented compliance history that auditors and accreditation bodies expect.
Pricing

FACIS Level 3 pricing

Priced per screen. The member rate applies to Catapult member companies.

SearchMemberNon-member
FACIS Level 3 healthcare sanctions$10.93$12.00

A $3 applicant fee applies to every person screened. Monthly re-screening programs are quoted against your roster size. See full background check pricing.

PBSA Member, Professional Background Screening Association

Catapult is a proud member of the Professional Background Screening Association, upholding the highest standards of accuracy, compliance, and consumer protection in background screening.

Run a FACIS Level 3 screen

Catapult manages your healthcare sanctions screening from enrollment to results.

Kevin von der Lippe, Director, HR Products & Technologies at Catapult
Kevin von der LippeDirector, HR Products & Technologies
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