# SAM Exclusion Check for NEMT: How to Search SAM.gov, Who to Check, and What to Keep

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/glossary/sam-exclusions/ · Updated 2026-09-29

A SAM exclusion check is a search of SAM.gov for people and companies that federal agencies have suspended, debarred, or excluded, including HHS OIG exclusions. NEMT providers check the company, owners, drivers, and staff who see member records before hire and then monthly, next to the OIG list, because rules such as Texas Medicaid's and MTM Health's bar anyone listed. The search is free and needs no account.

- SAM.gov holds exclusions from agencies across the federal government, including OIG, while the OIG list holds only OIG's own.
- Check your company, owners, managers, drivers, and staff who see member records, before hire and then monthly.
- Search by name with no classification filter, and try former names and your company's trade name.
- A name match is not proof. Confirm it with the agency named in the record before you act.
- Save a dated copy of every search, including the ones with no results, because that is your audit proof.

## What SAM.gov exclusions are

SAM.gov is the federal government's System for Award Management, run by the General Services Administration (GSA). Its exclusions list names people and companies that a federal agency has barred from federal contracts, grants, and other federal programs. An agency that suspends, debars, or excludes someone must enter the record within three business days ([2 CFR 180.520](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180/subpart-E)).

SAM replaced the old Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in 2012, and GSA moved every EPLS record into it. That is why older rules and broker contracts still say "EPLS." They mean the SAM.gov exclusions search.

The list includes HHS Office of Inspector General exclusions. OIG's own FAQ, updated April 30, 2026, says SAM contains debarment actions from many federal agencies, including OIG's exclusions. HHS rules also say a person OIG excludes from Medicare and Medicaid is barred from all federal procurement and nonprocurement programs ([2 CFR 376.147](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-376.147)).

Every SAM record has one of four exclusion types. Read the type before you decide anything.

| Exclusion type | What it means |
|---|---|
| Ineligible (Proceedings Pending) | Barred for now while an investigation or proceeding finishes. The end date is usually "Indefinite." |
| Ineligible (Proceedings Completed) | Barred after the proceedings ended. The termination date shows when it ends. |
| Prohibition/Restriction | Sanctions or limits set by an agency, including Treasury sanctions. The Additional Comments field explains the limit. |
| Voluntary Exclusion | The person agreed to be excluded in a settlement. The comments explain its reach. |

## How a SAM check differs from the OIG list

The [OIG exclusion list](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/oig-exclusion-list/), called the LEIE, holds only OIG's actions. SAM holds actions from agencies across the federal government. You check both because the rules name both.

| | OIG list (LEIE) | SAM.gov exclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Kept by | HHS Office of Inspector General | General Services Administration |
| What it lists | People and companies OIG excluded from federal health programs | Suspensions, debarments, and exclusions from federal agencies, including OIG |
| Checking a match | Enter the SSN or EIN to verify a name match | An SSN/TIN box for individuals, but agencies enter the number only when it is available and legally disclosable ([2 CFR 180.515 and 180.520](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180/subpart-E)) |
| How it updates | Monthly | Agencies enter actions within three business days |
| Bulk file | A monthly download | A daily download of active exclusions |
| Cost and login | Free, no login | Free, no login |

Two federal rules put SAM in your broker contract. Your state Medicaid agency must check each provider, and each owner, agent, and managing employee, against the LEIE and EPLS at least monthly ([42 CFR 455.436](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/section-455.436)). Medicaid health plans may not knowingly work with anyone debarred under federal procurement or nonprocurement rules, including network providers and subcontractors ([42 CFR 438.610](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/section-438.610)). Plans pass that down to their [NEMT brokers](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/nemt-broker/), and brokers pass it to you.

## Who requires a SAM exclusion check in NEMT

As of September 2026, these rules name SAM or EPLS directly:

| Program | Who is checked | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Medicaid health plans (Uniform Managed Care Manual 16.4, version 2.0.1) | Each driver, and each provider employee who works directly with members or has access to member records | LEIE and SAM monthly. Other databases before hire and yearly. |
| Georgia (Part II NEMT manual, July 1, 2026) | The broker, its owners and managing employees, and every provider it contracts with | Monthly for the broker and its managers. The broker sends DCH written proof that each new provider is not on the OIG list or SAM, and keeps the required monthly and yearly checks on file for DCH. |
| Louisiana (Medicaid Services Manual chapter 10, issued July 14, 2025) | NEMT providers and individuals in the broker's network | Monthly, against the LEIE, SAM, and Louisiana's Adverse Actions List |
| MTM Health standard agreement (January 1, 2023 version Pennsylvania posts) | Every driver and attendant. The company warrants that it, its owners, and its officers are on no federal or state excluded parties list. | No set schedule. No driver or attendant may appear on the OIG list or EPLS. |
| MediDrive, Colorado (driver requirements, September 2026) | Every driver | Part of each driver's credentialing, next to the OIG check |

Texas also says the plan must keep proof of every screening, must not let anyone work while a check is past due, and will recoup payment for services by anyone who was not eligible. Build your file the same way for any broker. See [NEMT broker credentialing](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-credentialing/).

## Who to check

Screen everyone whose work touches a Medicaid trip:

- **Your company**, under its legal name and any trade name.
- **Owners** with 5 percent or more, officers, directors, and managing employees.
- **Every driver and attendant**, including an owner who drives.
- **Dispatchers, billers, and office staff** who talk to riders or see member records.
- **Contractors** who do Medicaid work for you, such as a billing service.

## How to run a SAM exclusion check

1. **Open the search.** On [SAM.gov](https://sam.gov/search/?index=ex), choose Search, then the Exclusions domain. You do not need to log in.
2. **Leave the classification open.** GSA warns that picking only one classification, such as Firm, can hide matching records filed under another.
3. **Search people by name.** Use Excluded Individual and enter the first and last name. Repeat with former, maiden, and hyphenated names.
4. **Search your company by name.** GSA says not every firm record has a UEI or CAGE code, so a number search alone can miss one.
5. **Read any result in full.** Check the excluding agency, exclusion type, status, termination date, and Additional Comments.
6. **Confirm before you act.** SAM warns that a different person can share the name. Enter the person's street address in the record's Verify Address box, then call or email the agency point of contact linked in the record ([2 CFR 180.525](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180/subpart-E)).
7. **Save the proof.** Print the results page to PDF, including searches with no results, and name the file with the person and date.

For a long roster, download the free daily file of active exclusions from SAM.gov Data Services and compare names in a spreadsheet. Confirm any possible match with the online record and the agency.

## How often to check

Check before a person's first trip or first day, then every month. Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana all run their checks monthly, and federal rules make your state Medicaid agency check its enrolled providers monthly too. Pair it with your monthly OIG search so one date covers both lists.

## How to record each search

A clean log is your proof in a broker or state audit. Georgia requires its broker to keep documentation of each monthly result, and Texas requires proof of every screening on request. Use the [exclusion screening log](https://nemtguide.com/templates/exclusion-screening-log/) or a sheet with these columns:

| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Date | The day you searched |
| Name searched | Every name and spelling you entered |
| Role | Owner, driver, dispatcher, contractor, or the company |
| List | SAM.gov, LEIE, or your state list |
| Result | No record, possible match, or confirmed match |
| Proof | The saved PDF file name |
| Checked by | Who ran it |
| Follow-up | Agency contact, date confirmed, and what you did |

Keep each person's results with their [driver file](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-driver-file-checklist/) for as long as your broker agreement requires records.

## What to do if SAM shows a match

1. **Confirm it** with the excluding agency.
2. **Pull the person from Medicaid work** while you confirm. MTM's agreement bars any driver on the OIG list or EPLS.
3. **Tell your broker in writing.** Louisiana's broker must report exclusion findings to the state within three business days, so it will need your notice fast.
4. **Stop billing** for any work the person did while excluded, and ask a health care attorney about repaying it. For OIG exclusions, see OIG's self-disclosure steps on the [OIG exclusion list](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/oig-exclusion-list/) page.
5. **Log every step**, with dates.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a SAM exclusion check the same as an OIG exclusion check?

No, but they overlap. OIG's list, the LEIE, holds only exclusions that HHS OIG issued. SAM.gov, run by the General Services Administration, holds suspensions, debarments, and exclusions from agencies across the federal government, and OIG says that includes OIG's own exclusions (OIG FAQ, updated April 30, 2026). Federal rules make state Medicaid agencies check both at least monthly, so brokers ask providers to check both too.

### Do I need a SAM.gov account or a UEI to run an exclusion check?

No. GSA's quick start guide says exclusion data is available to all users without logging in, and the search is free. You need an account only to save searches or follow a record. A Unique Entity ID is what a company registers for to get federal contracts or grants, and you do not need one to search.

### How often should a NEMT company check SAM?

Before a person starts and then every month. Texas Medicaid health plans must screen drivers and member-facing staff against SAM monthly (Uniform Managed Care Manual 16.4), Georgia's broker checks the OIG list and SAM monthly (NEMT manual, July 1, 2026), and Louisiana's broker searches SAM monthly (Medicaid manual, July 14, 2025). Run it the same day as your monthly OIG check.

### What should I do if a driver's name matches a SAM record?

Open the record and read the excluding agency, exclusion type, status, and termination date. SAM warns that a different person can share the name, so contact the agency point of contact linked in the record to confirm. While you wait, keep the driver off Medicaid trips. Texas recoups payment for services by anyone not eligible under its screening rules. If it is confirmed, tell your broker in writing.

## Official resources

- [SAM.gov: Search exclusions (no login needed)](https://sam.gov/search/?index=ex)
- [SAM.gov: What each exclusion type means](https://sam.gov/entity-information/resources/exclusion-types)
- [SAM.gov: Download the daily exclusions file](https://sam.gov/data-services/Exclusions/Public%20V2?privacy=Public)
- [HHS OIG: Search the exclusion list (LEIE)](https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/)
- [eCFR: 42 CFR 455.436, Federal database checks](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/section-455.436)