New Mexico FACIS background checks: Levels 1M & 3 explained
A New Mexico-specific breakdown of the FACIS healthcare exclusion search: what Level 1M covers, what Level 3 adds from New Mexico boards and Medicaid enforcement, and which level fits which employer.
Every New Mexico 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 New Mexico and which level fits your workforce.
What is a FACIS background check in New Mexico?
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 New Mexico candidate, a Level 3 FACIS search reaches into the New Mexico Medicaid Sanctioned or Excluded Provider List, the New Mexico Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the disciplinary records of every New Mexico healthcare licensing board.
New Mexico sources included in FACIS Level 3
- New Mexico Medicaid Sanctioned or Excluded Provider List
- New Mexico Medicaid Fraud Control Unit enforcement actions
- New Mexico Board of Medicine disciplinary actions
- New Mexico Board of Nursing disciplinary actions
- New Mexico Board of Pharmacy disciplinary actions
- New Mexico dental, behavioral health, and allied-health board actions
- New Mexico Attorney General healthcare-fraud actions
- New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico employers
| Federal exclusion lists | Level 1M ✓ Level 3 ✓ |
| New Mexico Medicaid exclusions | Level 1M ✗ Level 3 ✓ |
| NM licensing board disciplinary actions | Level 1M ✗ Level 3 ✓ |
| New Mexico AG healthcare-fraud actions | Level 1M ✗ Level 3 ✓ |
Which New Mexico employers need Level 3?
If any of the following describe your New Mexico organization, Level 3 is the right search. Level 1M is not enough to see NM board sanctions or New Mexico Medicaid exclusions:
- New Mexico hospitals, health systems, and physician groups
- Skilled nursing, assisted-living, and long-term-care operators in New Mexico
- Home health, hospice, and DME suppliers billing New Mexico Medicaid
- Behavioral health, telehealth, and substance-use providers licensed in New Mexico
- Any employer with clinical staff holding a NM license alongside licenses in other states
How often should New Mexico providers re-screen?
The OIG Special Advisory Bulletin recommends monthly re-screening against the LEIE. New Mexico Medicaid enrollment agreements generally impose the same monthly cadence against the New Mexico 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 New Mexico employers
SafestHires offers FACIS Level 1M and FACIS Level 3 as standalone searches or bundled into a New Mexico 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.