Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check
The Health Care Worker Background Check Act requires fingerprint-based criminal history checks for unlicensed direct care workers in Illinois, with results recorded on the Illinois Department of Public Health's Health Care Worker Registry.
Law
225 ILCS 46
Method
Livescan fingerprints
Results on
IDPH registry
Waivers
Available
Who it covers
- Workers: home health aides, nurse aides, personal care assistants, private duty nurse aides and similar health-related workers.
- Employers: health care employers, including licensed home health agencies, home services agencies and home nursing agencies.
How it works
- Before hiring, check the person on the IDPH Health Care Worker Registry.
- If a check is needed, the person is fingerprinted by a contracted livescan vendor and the results go to the registry.
- Certain convictions disqualify a worker. The worker can apply to IDPH for a waiver, and IDPH publishes the list of disqualifying offenses.
Background checks are not exclusion screening
A clean fingerprint check doesn't show whether someone is excluded from Medicare or sanctioned by Illinois Medicaid. Those lists are checked separately, usually every month. See the exclusion screening guide.
Common questions
Who needs a background check under the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act?
Unlicensed direct care workers such as home health aides, nurse aides and personal care assistants employed by health care employers, including home health, home services and home nursing agencies.
How are Illinois health care worker background checks done?
By livescan fingerprinting through a contracted vendor, with results recorded on the IDPH Health Care Worker Registry.
Can a worker with a disqualifying conviction still be hired?
Only if IDPH grants a waiver. Workers apply for a waiver through IDPH.
Screen your Illinois staff every month
StaffScreen, our sister service, checks your whole team against the federal OIG and SAM.gov exclusion lists every month and emails you a dated certificate for your compliance file. Illinois customers hear first when the Illinois License Directory roster opens.
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