What is the purpose of LEIE in hiring or contracting decisions?

• A. Used to determine salaries
• B. Used to assign patient IDs
• C. Used to schedule shifts
• D. Used to screen providers and staff before hiring or contracting

Answer: (D)

LEIE is a government-maintained list of individuals and entities excluded from participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded health care programs. In hiring or contracting decisions, its purpose is to screen providers and staff before bringing them on, ensuring you do not hire or contract with someone who is prohibited from participating in these programs. This helps protect patients and the organization from fraud, waste, and liability, because those on the LEIE cannot bill federal health care programs, and contracting with them could lead to sanctions. It’s not used for setting salaries, assigning patient IDs, or scheduling shifts, which are operational tasks unrelated to legal eligibility to participate in federal programs.