Health workers may pay for own background checks

background check. The plan, being sought by Senator Patricia Miller, would mean the end of the current policy which relies on health care workers honesty about admitting past misdemeanors. The precise details of the plan have not yet been confirmed, but we know that it could affect more than 250,000 licensed professionals in Indiana, including doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, chiropractors, hypnotists, dietitians and even veterinarians. While there is no doubt that background screening processes should not rely on honesty, whether individuals ought to pay for their own is an entirely different matter. Should a worker have to pay an extra $75, when they themselves know their innocence already? Is it their duty to protect members of society through these background checks, or the responsibility of those enforcing the legislation? Some background checks are paid for by the authorities, others aren’t – and I’m not sure it’s a situation that will ever be resolved. In this case, we are told that the state can’t afford to do these checks on so many people, and most hospitals already require background checks, but they aren’t required in all situations, especially in nursing homes. If organizations have to perform pre-employment background checks, corners are often cut in order to save money. If individuals have to do it, it’s an extra expense on someone who’s probably unemployed and in a difficult financial situation. If the government has to do it, that means a raise in taxes for everyone. The vulnerable people we are protecting don’t care who pays to ensure their safety – the only certainty in this debate is that the checks get done.]]>