Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
Short answer: To check a medical or laboratory supply vendor against the OIG exclusion list, search the vendor’s name in the OIG Online Search for a single new supplier, or download the full LEIE CSV and match your whole vendor file against it. OIG replaces that full file every month, and the OIG Special Advisory Bulletin says providers and contracting entities have an affirmative duty to check exclusion status before entering contractual relationships. This page is general compliance information, not legal advice.
Definition and scope
The List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE) is the list OIG maintains of all currently excluded individuals and entities. OIG states that it has the authority to exclude individuals and entities from federally funded health care programs, and that anyone who hires an individual or entity on the LEIE may be subject to civil monetary penalties (OIG, Background Information & Exclusion Authorities).
For buyers the key phrase is “individual or entity”. A supplier, distributor or manufacturer is an entity, so the list is not only a staff-screening tool. For the staff side, see OIG exclusion screening for clinical research staff. For how the LEIE sits next to the federal SAM.gov debarment check, see debarment and exclusion screening for vendors, which this page does not repeat.
Why a supplier’s exclusion matters even when you are not the one billing
OIG’s Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion lists “items or equipment sold by an excluded manufacturer or supplier, used in the care or treatment of beneficiaries and reimbursed, directly or indirectly, by a Federal health care program” among the situations where federal program payment is barred. It adds that the prohibition applies “even when the Federal payment itself is made to another provider, practitioner or supplier that is not excluded,” and that it extends to administrative and management services that are a necessary component of providing items and services to beneficiaries.
In plain terms, a clinic or hospital that buys from an excluded manufacturer or distributor cannot assume the problem sits only with the supplier. The bulletin also states that providers and contracting entities “have an affirmative duty to check the program exclusion status of individuals and entities prior to entering into employment or contractual relationships, or run the risk of CMP liability if they fail to do so.” Related exposure for suppliers themselves is covered in anti-kickback statute penalties for medical suppliers.
Search or download: choosing the right LEIE tool
OIG’s LEIE download page (showing a last update of 10-09-2026) states that, because the Privacy Act prohibits distribution of Social Security numbers, you need the Online Search to verify specific individuals and entities, whatever your own process. OIG also offers a CSV download for populating a local database. The files differ in what they are for:
| OIG file or tool | What OIG says it is | Use for vendor screening |
|---|---|---|
| Online Search | The route to verify specific individuals and entities | Checking one new supplier, and confirming a possible match from a batch run |
| Full LEIE database (CSV) | “The entire dataset of all exclusions in effect”; replaced every month; reinstated parties are removed | Matching an entire vendor master file in one pass |
| Monthly supplement files | Exclusions and reinstatements for a single month only; archived for 12 months; not the full database | Only if you maintain a local database by applying supplements. OIG says that if you download the full database each month, do not use them |
| Profile corrections file | Changes to an entry’s profile, such as a change of address | Not for verifying exclusions. OIG says not to use it for that |
OIG tells users to pick one strategy each month: either download the latest full database or apply the supplements. It recommends the updated full database over relying solely on the incremental files. The file dates also differ from the page’s update date: OIG explains the files include all actions taken during the prior month.
What to record on a supplier file when you check
This section is editorial practice rather than an OIG requirement. OIG does not prescribe a vendor-file format or a checking schedule, but the OIG sources above point to what a defensible record should show. Keep, for each check:
- the name or names you searched, and any related names the supplier trades under;
- which tool you used (Online Search or a named monthly full-database file) and the date;
- the result, including whether a possible match was investigated and how it was resolved through the Online Search;
- who ran the check.
For the wider onboarding file that this record belongs in, see the vendor onboarding documentation checklist.
Where it matters for lab and clinic purchasing
The bulletin’s wording covers manufacturers and suppliers of items used in the care of federal program beneficiaries, so the check is relevant to clinics, hospitals and supply distributors that sell into federal programs. Purely bench-science consumables bought for research use do not involve patient reimbursement; whether a particular purchase falls under the bulletin depends on whether the item is used in care or treatment of beneficiaries and reimbursed directly or indirectly by a federal program. For the wider supplier landscape, see medical supplies suppliers.
Common misunderstandings
“OIG requires monthly screening.”
The bulletin asks providers to check before hiring or contracting and to “periodically” check current employees and contractors. It sets no schedule. What happens monthly is that OIG replaces the full LEIE file. A monthly check is a common internal policy choice, not an OIG rule.
“The LEIE and SAM.gov are the same check.”
They are separate lists with separate sources. The LEIE is OIG’s list of exclusions from federal health care programs; the debarment page linked above covers running SAM.gov alongside it.
“A supplement or correction file is enough.”
Supplement files hold one month only and do not include the full database; the profile corrections file is explicitly not for verifying exclusions.
“A Notice of Intent to Exclude means the vendor is excluded.”
OIG states that a Notice of Intent to Exclude does not necessarily mean the person will be excluded, and exclusions can be appealed to an HHS Administrative Law Judge. Only the LEIE shows currently excluded parties.
FAQ
How do I check whether a medical supply vendor is on the OIG exclusion list?
Use the OIG Online Search for the supplier’s name, or download the full LEIE CSV from OIG and match your vendor list against it. Confirm any possible match through the Online Search.
Can I check a person or company by Social Security number in the CSV?
OIG states the Privacy Act prohibits distribution of SSNs, so the Online Search is the route for verifying specific individuals and entities.
How often does OIG update the LEIE?
OIG states that the full database file is replaced every month with the most current version. Its download page showed a last update of 10-09-2026 as of 2026-11-01.
Who is responsible for checking, the buyer or the supplier?
The bulletin says providers and contracting entities have an affirmative duty to check exclusion status before entering contractual relationships.
Sources
Sources checked 2026-11-01.
- HHS-OIG, Background Information & Exclusion Authorities, checked 2026-11-01.
- HHS-OIG, LEIE Database & Supplement Downloads, checked 2026-11-01.
- HHS-OIG, Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion From Participation in Federal Health Care Programs, checked 2026-11-01.
