Is a provider excluded from Medicare or Medicaid?
Search the HHS-OIG exclusion list first: its file of Sep 10, 2026 names 84,001 people and businesses barred from federal health programs, and it is free to search. Then check SAM.gov and the Medicaid list of the state where the provider practices.
Open the OIG exclusion search →Why people and businesses are excluded
A lost state license is the most common reason: 33,393 entries, 40% of the list. Only 8,881 entries carry an NPI, so the official searches match by name, date of birth and address, and so should anyone checking a provider.
Source: HHS-OIG LEIE, file of Sep 10, 2026, all entries by exclusion authority (Social Security Act 1128); counts only.
Vermont and Mississippi have the most exclusions per resident
Counted by the address on each entry: 89.4 per 100,000 residents in Vermont and 70.1 in Mississippi, against 25 for the 50 states and D.C. Each state page shows its own count and reasons.
Source: HHS-OIG LEIE, file of Sep 10, 2026, entries by state of address; 2023 Census population estimates.
Which list shows what, and whether you can search it
| Check | Kept by | What it covers | Public lookup |
|---|---|---|---|
| HHS-OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE) | Office of Inspector General, HHS | People and organizations barred from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health programs | Yes: free search and a monthly file |
| SAM.gov exclusions | U.S. General Services Administration | Exclusions from federal contracts and programs across agencies | Yes: free search |
| State Medicaid exclusion lists | Each state's Medicaid agency | Providers barred from that state's Medicaid program | Yes, on each agency site |
| DEA registration | Drug Enforcement Administration | Authority to prescribe controlled substances | No public search |
| PTAN and Medicare enrollment | Medicare Administrative Contractors | Medicare billing enrollment | No PTAN search; enrollment is shown on provider pages from the CMS Doctors and Clinicians file |
Source: HHS-OIG, GSA (SAM.gov), DEA and CMS public guidance, reviewed Sep 28, 2026.
Where exclusions fit in a verification
- 1IdentityNPI record in CMS NPPESNPI lookupStart here
- 2LicenseActive license and public ordersState board searchCheck the board
- 3Other statesLicenses and actions elsewhereDocInfo (FSMB)Not checked
- 4ExclusionsMedicare and Medicaid bansHHS-OIG exclusion listNot checked
- 5CertificationBoard certificationABMS AOA NCCPA AANPNot checked
Common questions
Does PlainDoctor show whether a named provider is excluded?
No. Most entries on the OIG list carry no NPI, so a match by name alone can point at the wrong person, and exclusion records are for the official searches to show. Search the name on the OIG and SAM.gov searches, and confirm a result with its date of birth or address there.
Does an exclusion end?
Most exclusions last a set number of years; the person must then apply to the OIG for reinstatement. The monthly file lists only people and businesses excluded today.
Can I look up a DEA number?
No public search exists. Pharmacies and other registrants confirm registrations through the DEA's own validation service.
What is a PTAN?
The Provider Transaction Access Number that a Medicare contractor assigns at enrollment. It is not published for lookup; the NPI is the public identifier.
Figures on this page are counts from the HHS-OIG exclusion file of Sep 10, 2026 and 2023 Census estimates; PlainDoctor shows no individual entry. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of the OIG file of Sep 10, 2026.