---
title: "What Is the OIG Exclusion List (LEIE)? Screening Guide"
description: "The OIG exclusion list (LEIE) names people barred from federal health programs. What exclusion means, how screening works, and how Cuvo Health screens."
canonical: "https://cuvo.co/glossary/oig-exclusion-list"
last-updated: "Oct 26, 2026"
---
**Definition:** The OIG exclusion list, formally the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE), names the people and companies the HHS Office of Inspector General has excluded from federal health care programs. Sanction screening is the routine check of clinicians against it and similar lists.

# What is the OIG exclusion list (LEIE) and sanction screening?

An excluded clinician can still hold a state license, which is why credentialing does not stop at the license. The OIG exclusion list is the federal record of who may not be paid by federal health care programs, and checking it routinely is how a program avoids hiring someone on it. Cuvo Health screens every provider monthly against the LEIE and SAM.gov.

Published Oct 26, 2026. Facts reviewed Oct 26, 2026.

The OIG exclusion list, formally the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE), is the HHS Office of Inspector General's record of every individual and entity currently excluded from federally funded health care programs under section 1128 of the Social Security Act. No federal health care program pays for items or services an excluded person furnishes, orders or prescribes, and anyone who hires an excluded person may face civil monetary penalties, so OIG tells health care entities to check the list routinely. Sanction screening is that check, and many programs run it against both the LEIE and SAM.gov Exclusions. Cuvo Health screens every provider monthly against the HHS-OIG LEIE and SAM.gov and watches license status and board actions.

**At a glance**
- What it is: OIG's list of individuals and entities excluded from federal health care programs
- Legal authority: Section 1128 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a-7)
- Effect: No federal program payment for items or services an excluded person furnishes, orders or prescribes (42 CFR 1001.1901)
- Update cadence: OIG replaces the full downloadable database every month
- Companion list: SAM.gov Exclusions, the federal record of persons excluded or disqualified from covered transactions (2 CFR 180.500)
- On Cuvo: Every provider screened monthly against the LEIE and SAM.gov

**Why OIG excludes, and for how long (oig.hhs.gov, checked October 26, 2026)**

| Type | Examples of grounds | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Mandatory, section 1128(a)** | Conviction of program-related crimes, patient abuse or neglect, felony health care fraud, felony controlled-substance offenses | At least 5 years |
| **Repeat mandatory offenses** | A second mandatory exclusion offense; a third or more | At least 10 years; permanent |
| **Permissive, section 1128(b)** | Misdemeanor health care fraud or controlled-substance convictions, license revocation, suspension or surrender, kickbacks and other prohibited activities | Varies by ground; for license actions, at least the state's period |

## 01. Why does exclusion screening matter for a telehealth brand?

Exclusion reaches anything an excluded clinician orders or prescribes, not only what they bill. Federal rules bar payment for an item or service furnished at the medical direction or on the prescription of an excluded physician when the person furnishing it knew or had reason to know of the exclusion (42 CFR 1001.1901), and Medicare Advantage plans must not contract with excluded individuals (42 CFR 422.204). A license board action can also lead to exclusion, so a clinician who was clear at credentialing may not be clear a year later.

## 02. How is the LEIE different from SAM.gov Exclusions?

The LEIE is HHS-OIG's list for federal health care programs. SAM.gov Exclusions, operated by the General Services Administration (FAR 9.404), is the governmentwide source of persons excluded or disqualified from covered federal transactions; federal agencies check it before entering a transaction, and it is open to the public (2 CFR 180.500 and 180.505). The lists overlap but are not the same, which is why sanction screening runs against both.

## 03. How often should providers be screened against the LEIE?

Monthly is the cadence the rules point to. OIG replaces its downloadable database with the current version every month, and federal rules require state Medicaid agencies to check the LEIE and the federal excluded parties list no less frequently than monthly (42 CFR 455.436). Because the downloadable file omits Social Security numbers under the Privacy Act, OIG directs users to its online search to verify a specific individual. Cuvo screens every provider monthly, so an exclusion is caught within the month it is published.

## 04. Does an OIG exclusion end automatically?

No. OIG states that reinstatement is not automatic when the exclusion period ends; the excluded person must apply for it. Exclusions can be appealed to an HHS Administrative Law Judge and then the Departmental Appeals Board. Until OIG reinstates a person, the exclusion stays in effect and on the list, so a past exclusion with an expired period still needs to be checked against the current LEIE.

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: What is the OIG exclusion list?**

A: It is the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities, the HHS Office of Inspector General's record of everyone currently excluded from federal health care programs under section 1128 of the Social Security Act. On Cuvo, every provider is screened against it monthly.

**Q: LEIE vs SAM.gov: what is the difference?**

A: The LEIE lists people and entities excluded from federal health care programs by HHS-OIG, while SAM.gov Exclusions is the governmentwide record of those excluded or disqualified from covered federal transactions. Cuvo Health screens every provider against both, every month.

**Q: How often should you check the OIG exclusion list?**

A: Monthly: OIG replaces its database every month, and state Medicaid agencies must check it at least monthly under 42 CFR 455.436. Cuvo Health screens every provider in its network monthly against the LEIE and SAM.gov.

**Q: What happens if you hire an excluded provider?**

A: Federal health care programs will not pay for items or services the excluded person furnishes, orders or prescribes, and OIG says anyone who hires an excluded person may be subject to civil monetary penalties. Cuvo Health's monthly screening is designed to catch an exclusion within the month it is published.

**Q: Does a telehealth brand need sanction screening?**

A: Yes, for every clinician who treats its patients, at credentialing and on a recurring cadence after. On Cuvo, license, sanction and exclusion screening runs monthly for the whole network, inside the flat $25 per completed consult.

**Related pages**

- [Provider credentialing](/glossary/provider-credentialing): Where screening starts
- [Primary source verification](/glossary/primary-source-verification): Confirming credentials with their issuers
- [The 50-state provider network](/provider-network): Cuvo's credentialing file and screening cadence
- [Telehealth vendor due diligence checklist](/blog/telehealth-vendor-due-diligence-checklist): What to ask a network in writing
- [Cuvo compliance](/compliance): The regulated layer Cuvo runs for every brand
- [Telehealth glossary](/glossary): Every term a telehealth founder meets

Canonical page: https://cuvo.co/glossary/oig-exclusion-list