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IOWA · CARE PROGRAM

HCBS Waiver Services (agency providers)

Agency staff who give direct care under the Elderly, Health and Disability, AIDS/HIV, Physical Disability and Children's Mental Health waivers (homemaker, agency attendant care, respite, adult day care, nursing and others). These waivers stay in place until the planned Children and Youth and Adults with Disabilities waivers launch.

HCBS WAIVER · ON FILE
Registries named
7
Required
5
Expected
2
Screened by ezOIG
4 of 7
Rules checked
October 16, 2026

Required checks

Named by a regulation, a statute or the state's Medicaid agency

  1. List of Excluded Individuals/Entities

    HHS Office of Inspector General

    SCREENED BY EZOIG Federal exclusion check against the HHS-OIG list
    WHEN
    MONTHLY Before hire or contract, and monthly
    BASIS
    Iowa Medicaid Provider Agreement (Form 470-2965, rev. 03/26), § 4; IL 1130; HCBS Provider Manual ch. III

    The Provider must screen employees and contractors against the HHS-OIG and State Exclusion List before hiring and monthly thereafter. Any exclusions must be reported to the Department.

    Read the source hhs.iowa.gov

  2. Iowa Medicaid Sanctions List

    Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa Medicaid Program Integrity)

    SCREENED BY EZOIG State Medicaid exclusion list check
    WHEN
    MONTHLY Before hire or contract, and monthly
    BASIS
    Iowa Medicaid Provider Agreement (Form 470-2965, rev. 03/26), § 4 ("State Exclusion List", published on Iowa Medicaid's Excluded Individuals and Entities page as the Iowa Medicaid Sanctions List under "Required Exclusion Databases"); 441 IAC 79.2(2)(w)

    The Provider must screen employees and contractors against the HHS-OIG and State Exclusion List before hiring and monthly thereafter. Any exclusions must be reported to the Department.

    Read the source hhs.iowa.gov

  3. Iowa Criminal History Record Check

    Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)

    NOT SCREENED YET Checked by request to the agency
    WHEN
    AT HIRE Before direct care begins; verify within seven days of a reported or credible new conviction or founded abuse
    BASIS
    Iowa Code §§ 249A.29, 135C.33(5)(a)(3); HCBS Provider Manual ch. III (Provider Enrollment); 441 IAC 77.48(1)(b)(2) (Children's Mental Health waiver)

    Providers and their staff must complete child abuse, dependent adult abuse, and criminal background screenings pursuant to Iowa Code section 249A.29 before the provision of direct care services to members of any waiver program.

    Read the source hhs.iowa.gov

  4. Central Abuse Registry (child abuse information)

    Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

    NOT SCREENED YET Checked by request to the agency
    WHEN
    AT HIRE Before direct care begins; verify within seven days of a reported or credible new conviction or founded abuse
    BASIS
    Iowa Code §§ 249A.29, 135C.33(5)(a)(3); HCBS Provider Manual ch. III (Provider Enrollment); 441 IAC 77.48(1)(b)(2) (Children's Mental Health waiver)

    Providers and their staff must complete child abuse, dependent adult abuse, and criminal background screenings pursuant to Iowa Code section 249A.29 before the provision of direct care services to members of any waiver program.

    Read the source hhs.iowa.gov

  5. Central Abuse Registry (dependent adult abuse information)

    Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

    NOT SCREENED YET Checked by request to the agency
    WHEN
    AT HIRE Before direct care begins; verify within seven days of a reported or credible new conviction or founded abuse
    BASIS
    Iowa Code §§ 249A.29, 135C.33(5)(a)(3); HCBS Provider Manual ch. III (Provider Enrollment); 441 IAC 77.48(1)(b)(2) (Children's Mental Health waiver)

    Providers and their staff must complete child abuse, dependent adult abuse, and criminal background screenings pursuant to Iowa Code section 249A.29 before the provision of direct care services to members of any waiver program.

    Read the source hhs.iowa.gov

Expected checks

Standard practice, or implied by a provider's enrollment duties; no rule names them outright

  1. Iowa Sex Offender Registry

    Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation

    SCREENED BY EZOIG Sex offender registry check
    WHEN
    AT HIRE At hire
    BASIS
    Standard practice; no Iowa rule names it. It lists Iowa registrants with out-of-state convictions that the Iowa-only DCI check misses, and Iowa HHS's Abuse Registry page links it beside the DCI criminal history check

  2. SAM.gov exclusions

    General Services Administration

    SCREENED BY EZOIG Federal exclusion check against SAM.gov
    WHEN
    MONTHLY At hire and monthly
    BASIS
    Iowa Medicaid's exclusion page lists SAM.gov with its "Required Exclusion Databases", but IL 1130 and the HCBS Provider Manual only recommend it and the Provider Agreement leaves it out

Also required

Not registry lookups; ezOIG doesn't run these
  • HHS Record Check Evaluation (Form 470-2310) before employing anyone whose checks show a conviction or founded child or dependent adult abuse; HHS decides whether the record bars the job (Iowa Code § 135C.33(2)-(4); 441 IAC 119)
  • Written policies and staff training on identifying and reporting child and dependent adult abuse (HCBS Provider Manual ch. III)
  • Direct care staff of Children's Mental Health waiver providers at least 18 and not the member's spouse or parent (441 IAC 77.48(1)(b))

Why some registries are not screened yet

Checked by request to the agency
The agency answers a written request or form rather than an online search.

Guidance, not legal advice

This page summarizes ezOIG's research into Iowa's rules for this program, checked against the regulations as of October 16, 2026. Rules change, and an agency's own contract or license can add to them. Confirm what applies to you with Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa Medicaid) or your own counsel before relying on it.

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