Alabama FACIS background checks: Levels 1M & 3 explained
A Alabama-specific breakdown of the FACIS healthcare exclusion search: what Level 1M covers, what Level 3 adds from Alabama boards and Medicaid enforcement, and which level fits which employer.
Every Alabama organization that bills a federally funded healthcare program — Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or a state Medicaid managed-care plan — is required to verify that its employees, contractors, and vendors are not excluded from participation. FACIS is the standard tool for that verification. This guide covers what a FACIS search returns in Alabama and which level fits your workforce.
What is a FACIS background check in Alabama?
FACIS (Fraud and Abuse Control Information System) is a healthcare-specific sanction database that aggregates federal exclusion and debarment records with state licensing, Medicaid, and Attorney General enforcement data. Run against a Alabama candidate, a Level 3 FACIS search reaches into the Alabama Medicaid Sanctioned or Excluded Provider List, the Alabama Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the disciplinary records of every Alabama healthcare licensing board.
Alabama sources included in FACIS Level 3
- Alabama Medicaid Sanctioned or Excluded Provider List
- Alabama Medicaid Fraud Control Unit enforcement actions
- Alabama Board of Medicine disciplinary actions
- Alabama Board of Nursing disciplinary actions
- Alabama Board of Pharmacy disciplinary actions
- Alabama dental, behavioral health, and allied-health board actions
- Alabama Attorney General healthcare-fraud actions
- Alabama contractor disqualification and debarment lists
Federal sources included in every FACIS search
Both Level 1M and Level 3 include the federal exclusion sources that satisfy OIG and CMS baseline requirements for Alabama providers:
- OIG List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE)
- System for Award Management (SAM), including SDN
- OFAC Specially Designated Nationals list
- FDA Debarment List
- DEA administrative actions
- GSA excluded parties
- TRICARE excluded providers
- U.S. Department of Justice, Treasury, and State healthcare-fraud actions
FACIS Level 1M vs. Level 3 for Alabama employers
| Federal exclusion lists | Level 1M ✓ Level 3 ✓ |
| Alabama Medicaid exclusions | Level 1M ✗ Level 3 ✓ |
| AL licensing board disciplinary actions | Level 1M ✗ Level 3 ✓ |
| Alabama AG healthcare-fraud actions | Level 1M ✗ Level 3 ✓ |
Which Alabama employers need Level 3?
If any of the following describe your Alabama organization, Level 3 is the right search. Level 1M is not enough to see AL board sanctions or Alabama Medicaid exclusions:
- Alabama hospitals, health systems, and physician groups
- Skilled nursing, assisted-living, and long-term-care operators in Alabama
- Home health, hospice, and DME suppliers billing Alabama Medicaid
- Behavioral health, telehealth, and substance-use providers licensed in Alabama
- Any employer with clinical staff holding a AL license alongside licenses in other states
How often should Alabama providers re-screen?
The OIG Special Advisory Bulletin recommends monthly re-screening against the LEIE. Alabama Medicaid enrollment agreements generally impose the same monthly cadence against the Alabama Medicaid Sanctioned or Excluded Provider List. A pre-hire FACIS check is the starting point; continuous monthly monitoring is what catches sanctions that land after the hire date.
How SafestHires runs FACIS for Alabama employers
SafestHires offers FACIS Level 1M and FACIS Level 3 as standalone searches or bundled into a Alabama healthcare hiring package alongside primary-source license verification, sex-offender registry checks, and county criminal history. Ongoing monthly monitoring is available for the entire workforce from the same dashboard.