Credit Check for employment???

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Is this legal? What does it have to do with my being suitable for employment? I have nothing to hide, however I am very squeamish about having all of my financial records out there for anyone to see! I understand about a background check...but why my financials?

Can I say no to this part of the process?

thanks!

What that site would do in the case of a HEAL loan is prevent a doctor who was not making his or her student loan payments from billing Medicare for services rendered to patients and receiving payment.

Yeah, but it's not just limited to doctors. The fact is, the hospital can't hire anyone on that list. To wit:

http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/docs/alertsandbulletins/effected.htm

... no Federal health care program payment may be made for any items or services furnished by an excluded individual or entity ...

This payment prohibition applies to the excluded person, anyone who employs or contracts with the excluded person, any hospital or other provider where the excluded person provides services, and anyone else.

The prohibition against Federal program payment for items or services furnished by excluded individuals or entities also extends to payment for administrative and management services not directly related to patient care, but that are a necessary component of providing items and services to Federal program beneficiaries.

:typing

Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

Not just doctors no - but just certain types of loans AND loans that are used to help promote the practice of providers in high need (typically rural) areas.

Your usual Stafford and Perkins loan will not get you on this list - Please dont scare monger.

(I used doctors and the HEAL loan as an example in case that wasnt clear)

Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

However - if your STATE suspends your license for non-payment of your Stafford or Perkins (some states do) then it could end up there.

Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

As far as the credit checks go - a potential employer doesn't need permission from you to check this database anyway. They want a credit check for other reasons, not to see if you are in this database.

As far as the credit checks go - a potential employer doesn't need permission from you to check this database anyway. They want a credit check for other reasons, not to see if you are in this database.

Yeah but, if you have lousy credit then you're a greater risk for getting into that database or, as you pointed out, having licensing problems down the road. Either way, better credit probably means less risk for them overall.

Besides ... you don't get on that list until you're at least six months in default, if not longer. A credit report would show if you're behind on the payments a lot sooner than that and, therefore, indicate a Medicare/Medicaid risk. So ... that may be another reason why they'd want to look at your credit.

:typing

Is it much more difficult to obtain a job as a Nurse if one files for bankruptcy?

Specializes in Med/Surg, ER, L&D, ICU, OR, Educator.
It is legal but only if you sign a consent form authorizing the credit check. Of course, if you don't sign it then they may not consider your application.

I would never consent to this, and would do without the job before yet another institution feel that they have a right to any personal information. Is there any personal privacy allowed to humans anymore?

Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

In case you didnt realize it - and many don't - the consent to perform a criminal background check is actually a consent for a consumer background check. They dont need consent to look up anybody's criminal history - they do need consent to pull a consumer credit report.

I haven't seen a job app or contract *without* this since I worked at Wendy's as a teenager!

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Five years ago, when I was going through the extensive hiring process with a famous fortune-500 company, they checked my credit history and I did not object. Many companies are adopting the belief that a good or fair credit history is highly indicative of a responsible applicant who is worthy of an offer for employment.

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