Some states require home health agencies to complete a criminal background check on all new direct employees. Other states require staff complete fingerprint checks prior to hire. If you are a Hospice agency Medicare requires Hospice Agencies to complete background checks on all direct care employees and volunteers §418.114(d).
What does your state require and are you compliant?
If you are a home health business accredited by Accreditation Commission for HealthCare (ACHC) you are required to complete background checks on personnel that have direct patient care and/or access to patient records. ACHC prefers that the agency rechecks criminal background history and the National Sex Offender Registry on all personnel that provide direct patient care/services at least every 3 years.
Standard HH4-2H.01.
ACHC requires the background checks to include:
- criminal background – these are to be obtained in accordance with state requirements. In the absence of state requirements, criminal background checks are obtained within three months of the date of employment for ALL states that the individual has lived or worked in the past three years.
- Office of Inspector General Exclusion List
- National Sex Offender Registry
Contact ICS to find out more information on what background checks your agency may need to complete in order to be compliant.