Illinois Healthcare Workers Act
Illinois Healthcare Workers Act Heading link
Candidates for new hire at the University of Illinois or individuals currently employed in any of the designated components of the University that are covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 are required to be in compliance with the Medicare-Medicaid Anti-Fraud and Abuse Amendments to the Illinois Health Care Worker Criminal Background Check Act (HCWCBCA). These employees will be screened for any instance of an appearance on any Medicare-Medicaid sanction list or other list where they are found to be required to be excluded from participation in Federal or State Health Care Programs. Initial hires to the University of Illinois at Chicago must complete the Criminal Background Check/Sanctions Release Form.
The appropriate college will conduct the sanction check. If the sanction check indicates the applicant, who has been given a conditional offer of employment, is sanctioned and therefore has been excluded from participation in federal or state healthcare programs, the applicant will be denied employment or terminated immediately, unless the applicant can validate that he/she is not the person identified on the sanctions listing. The applicant/employee is responsible for all costs associated with the identity validation process.
All current employees in the designed components covered by HIPAA will undergo a sanction review once every year. The UIC campus Human Resources Office will conduct the annual review. If the review indicates appearance on any sanctions listing, the employee will be terminated immediately from the position(s). Termination procedures will be coordinated with the appropriate campus human resources office. The employee may seek to validate identity by contacting the excluding governmental body. The employee is responsible for all costs associated with the identity validation process.