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An unprofessional or unqualified doctor or nurse can jeopardize a patient’s life and forever damage the reputation of your healthcare organization. 

So, how can healthcare employers mitigate the risk of hiring the wrong staff? 

That’s where healthcare background check companies come to the rescue. These outfits understand the industry’s complex and ever-changing regulations and can create screening programs that keep the risks at bay. 

We did the heavy lifting for you, researching dozens of companies and testing their capabilities. Scroll down for a list of trustworthy healthcare screening providers and a detailed explanation of our selection process.

The Most Trustworthy Healthcare Background Screening Companies to Hire

How We Selected the Most Trustworthy Healthcare Background Check Companies

Healthcare screening companies carry a huge responsibility with the prospective employees set to work with vulnerable people. We partnered with industry specialists to develop a bulletproof evaluation methodology for selecting the most trustworthy background services. Below we’ll explain our selection method, step by step. 

Investigating Legitimacy and Reputation

We start with a website visit and go through each company’s story, mission, vision, expertise, and team. We immediately eliminate suspicious websites that don’t have an “HTTPS” protocol. We also check whether the companies use secure payment methods and gateway providers. We then take our investigation to third-party review platforms and read what real clients have to say about the expertise, customer service, and all other aspects of their work. We only feature companies with overall positive feedback.

Evaluating Companies’ Background Screening Services

Healthcare background check companies usually provide the full suite of screening services. To make it easier for employers, the top companies usually organize their services into packages for specific job positions. This means you can find different types of checks for healthcare employees like physicians, nurses, EMT/paramedics, and home health aides. On top of these pre-bundled services, some companies allow you to add extras. The best companies can also help you build a custom screening program that caters specifically to your hiring needs. No matter which route you choose, healthcare background screening providers typically offer the following services: 

• Identity verification check
• Social security number trace
• Form I-9 & E-Verify
• National criminal background check
• County court criminal background check
• Federal background check
• Federal exclusion search
• Domestic watch list search
• National sex offender search
• Drug screening
• Past employment verification
• Education verification
• Professional license verification
• Professional Reference Check
• Healthcare Sanctions & Exclusions
• MVR checks
• Credit history check
• Social Media Background check
• Occupational health services
• Nurse AIDE registry check
• Ongoing screening

Most of the companies that provide healthcare background screening also offer a full range of pre-employment screening and background check services for landlords and lenders. In addition to the services mentioned above that can apply to other industries, not just healthcare, you might also find these services:

• Address history
• Criminal records
• Civil records check
• Military records verification
• International background check
• Global watchlist search
• Previous address tenant history
• Public records
• Credit report
• Credit score
• Proof of income
• Proof of employment
• Collections
• Tradelines
• Consumer statements
• Inquiries
• Eviction history

Verifying Compliance

According to the rules outlined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), every healthcare employer must conduct healthcare background screening for positions that involve contact with patients. Furthermore, the Joint Commission has special healthcare background check requirements that accredited organizations must follow.

Pre-employment background check companies must also follow the rules outlined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This means, among other things, obtaining authorization for screening from candidates, using accurate sources, reporting up-to-date information, and following legal adverse action procedures. Not adhering to CMS and FCRA rules can result in penalties and lawsuits. 

Verifying Companies’ Industry Expertise

Background screening is not limited to the hiring process in the healthcare industry. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) requires healthcare organizations to continuously monitor employment sanctions and other exclusions. 

We evaluate healthcare background check companies’ knowledge of the industry’s requirements and regulations to ensure these outfits work hand in hand with their customers to keep them compliant no matter their location. The top screening providers are aware that laws greatly vary based on the location, and what makes you compliant in one jurisdiction can get you in trouble in another. 

For instance, laws like “ban the box,” salary history bans, and marijuana legislation impact the hiring process but differ from one state to another, and in some cases, from one city to another in the same state. Some states also limit what background check companies can show in the reports. For instance, some jurisdictions do not allow reporting convictions older than seven years, bankruptcies older than 10 years, and expunged criminal records. 

Given the complex compliance requirements in the healthcare industry, it’s essential to partner with a top healthcare background check provider that will review and audit your background check policies and processes regularly to ensure you’re in good standing with the state and keep the fines, penalties, and lawsuits away. 

Testing Functionality

We navigate through the companies’ websites and order screening services to test the functionality of their platforms. The best background check companies rely on state-of-the-art technology. Besides allowing clients to order background checks for healthcare employees through their websites, we look for firms that can also help them automate workflows and run a custom screening program. 

Automating the healthcare background screening process has many advantages, some of them being ordering healthcare worker background check reports in batches, and a user-friendly dashboard that allows clients to monitor the screening progress. Other benefits include receiving reports and analyses that showcase the trends in the background screening process and integrating multiple ATS. That’s why we handpick companies that rely on advanced technology and provide seamless functionality.

Testing Their Screening Capabilities and Accuracy

We order healthcare background checks for real medical professionals from every evaluated background screening provider. Then we compare the results. The best background check companies start their screening process by verifying applicants’ identities. Some companies overlook this step, which could lead to employers checking the wrong individuals. The healthcare background check providers that earned a spot on our list use Social Security Number trace and a combination of other screening methods to deliver the most accurate background checks for healthcare employees. 

Be aware of mediocre companies unwilling to put the required effort to provide you with all the relevant data you need to make an informed decision. Some companies cut corners by conducting a maximum of three attempts for education and employment verifications. If they don’t get a response three times, they will simply put “No data available” in the background report. You’ll end up paying for incomplete results. We sourced the most trustworthy background check providers that go beyond the three-attempts-practice to deliver comprehensive background reports.

Another thing that we ask the healthcare background screening companies is to conduct detailed background checks using all names and aliases associated with the candidates. Some background check providers only search with the given name, which could lead to incomplete reports. To get the full picture of someone, you want to check all names and aliases associated with that person. 

We only recommend background screening professionals that have passed our rigorous testing and have delivered up-to-date reports while respecting the specific employment requirements related to location and the healthcare industry.

Testing the Quality of Their Customer Service

We reach the potential healthcare background check companies through all available contact channels to evaluate the quality of their customer service. We present ourselves as potential clients and ask different questions that help us detect whether we are dealing with experts. We note how long it takes for the providers to answer our emails or pick up the phone. Then we evaluate the quality of their answers and eliminate companies with poor performance. 

Comparing Their Prices Against Industry Standards 

A healthcare background check can include various searches and verifications, depending on the job position, location, and employer’s preferences. Below, you can find a breakdown of the most commonly requested screening services for healthcare employees:

• National criminal background check ($25–$45)
• County court criminal background check ($15–$20)
• National sex offender search ($0–$5)
• Identity verification check ($2–$4)
• Drug screening (prices greatly vary depending on the type of test and the depth of testing, with basic tests costing between $25 and $55, and lab drug tests going up to a couple of hundreds of dollars)
• Past employment verification ($7–$15)
• Education verification ($7–$15)
• Professional license verification ($7–$15)
• MVR checks ($3–$10)
• Credit history checks ($5–$10)

You might need to pay access fees on top of the prices that healthcare background screening companies charge. Not all information comes with access fees, but many do, and the exact amount depends on the location where information needs to be obtained. 

Other searches that you might need to include or perform depending on the positions you’re hiring for include healthcare sanctions and potential exclusions, nurse AIDE registry check, professional reference check, social media background check, and post-hire monitoring. Ongoing monitoring is often overlooked yet critical service. It alerts employers if active caregivers get arrested or disbarred while working for their organization.

We made sure to feature companies with prices that fall within industry standards. The total cost you need to pay depends on many variables. If you don’t find a pre-made service bundle that works for your needs, you’ll have to discuss your requirements with different vendors and get custom quotes. 

How to Choose The Best Healthcare Background Check Service for Your Organization

All of the companies on our list have undergone a rigorous selection process and checked all the boxes of our evaluation criteria. Ultimately, it’s on you to select the best company for your business needs. Depending on your size, the job positions you’re hiring for, and other factors, some companies will make a better fit than others. Scroll down for a step-by-step guide that will help you detect your best fit.

Determine Your Screening Needs

While a background check provider can help you build the best program for your needs, you need to know what those needs are. How many checks per year do you need? Would you like to cover only the basics or do you require advanced searches to ensure maximum safety for your patients and team? Do you need to order background checks in batches? Are you interested in building custom healthcare background screening programs and automating your entire hiring process? If yes, companies that offer only pre-build packages won’t work for you. 

What positions do you need screening for? Keep in mind that different positions may require various searches. Maybe you’ll need MVR screening services for positions that involve driving. Do you only need a background check for healthcare workers? Have you considered screening everyone that can get around your patients, including interns, part-time employees, and staff working in non-medical positions? Are there any specific searches that are non-negotiable for you as an employer, even though they aren’t required by law? Write down your needs and have them handy when contacting the potential screening providers.

Look for a Compliance Expert That Understands the Regulations in the Healthcare Industry

Healthcare is one of the most regulated industries where bad employees can cost much more than a financial loss. That’s why it’s essential to find a healthcare background check expert that understands the industry’s complex regulations and can keep you ahead of the compliance curve at all times. From adhering to the FCRA and EEOC rules to respecting the period limits that companies can report in the background check for healthcare workers, having a company familiar with your space will give you peace of mind and save you from being sued and penalized. 

Talk to a Representative and Ask for a Demo

Once you have your needs and questions outlined, schedule an interview or reach out directly to the sales team. The best healthcare background check companies will be happy to elaborate on your questions and advise you on the best program for your screening needs. Ask them to walk you through their platform, show you how it works, and how you can use it to maximize your screening ROI. Seeing how different platforms work and the technologies companies use will give you a better idea of what would best fulfill your needs.

Outline a Budget and Pick a Company That Checks All the Boxes Within That Budget

Once you talk with the healthcare background companies and get quotes, you will know fairly well how much money you’ll need to allocate to screening services. Determine a budget that you’re comfortable with and see which company of your top picks delivers the best value for your budget.