H.B. No. 2523 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the prevention of Medicaid fraud; imposing civil 1-3 penalties. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Title 2, Human Resources Code, is amended by 1-6 adding Chapter 36 to read as follows: 1-7 CHAPTER 36. MEDICAID FRAUD PREVENTION 1-8 Sec. 36.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: 1-9 (1) "Claim" means a written or electronically 1-10 submitted request or demand that: 1-11 (A) is signed by a provider or a fiscal agent 1-12 and that identifies a product or service provided or purported to 1-13 have been provided to a Medicaid recipient as reimbursable under 1-14 the Medicaid program, without regard to whether the money that is 1-15 requested or demanded is paid; or 1-16 (B) states the income earned or expense incurred 1-17 by a provider in providing a product or a service and that is used 1-18 to determine a rate of payment under the Medicaid program. 1-19 (2) "Documentary material" means a record, document, 1-20 or other tangible item of any form, including: 1-21 (A) a medical document or X ray prepared by a 1-22 person in relation to the provision or purported provision of a 1-23 product or service to a Medicaid recipient; 1-24 (B) a medical, professional, or business record 2-1 relating to: 2-2 (i) the provision of a product or service 2-3 to a Medicaid recipient; or 2-4 (ii) a rate or amount paid or claimed for 2-5 a product or service, including a record relating to a product or 2-6 service provided to a person other than a Medicaid recipient as 2-7 needed to verify the rate or amount; 2-8 (C) a record required to be kept by an agency 2-9 that regulates health care providers; or 2-10 (D) a record necessary to disclose the extent of 2-11 services a provider furnishes to Medicaid recipients. 2-12 (3) "Fiscal agent" means: 2-13 (A) a person who, through a contractual 2-14 relationship with the Texas Department of Human Services, the Texas 2-15 Department of Health, or another state agency, receives, processes, 2-16 and pays a claim under the Medicaid program; or 2-17 (B) the designated agent of a person described 2-18 by Paragraph (A). 2-19 (4) "Health care practitioner" means a dentist, 2-20 podiatrist, psychologist, physical therapist, chiropractor, 2-21 registered nurse, or other provider licensed to provide health care 2-22 services in this state. 2-23 (5) "Medicaid program" means the state Medicaid 2-24 program. 2-25 (6) "Medicaid recipient" means an individual on whose 2-26 behalf a person claims or receives a payment from the Medicaid 2-27 program or a fiscal agent, without regard to whether the individual 3-1 was eligible for benefits under the Medicaid program. 3-2 (7) "Physician" means a physician licensed to practice 3-3 medicine in this state. 3-4 (8) "Provider" means a person who participates in or 3-5 who has applied to participate in the Medicaid program as a 3-6 supplier of a product or service and includes: 3-7 (A) a management company that manages, operates, 3-8 or controls another provider; 3-9 (B) a person, including a medical vendor, that 3-10 provides a product or service to a provider or to a fiscal agent; 3-11 and 3-12 (C) an employee of a provider. 3-13 (9) "Service" includes care or treatment of a Medicaid 3-14 recipient. 3-15 (10) "Signed" means to have affixed a signature 3-16 directly or indirectly by means of handwriting, typewriting, 3-17 signature stamp, computer impulse, or other means recognized by 3-18 law. 3-19 (11) "Unlawful act" means an act declared to be 3-20 unlawful under Section 36.002. 3-21 Sec. 36.002. UNLAWFUL ACTS. A person commits an unlawful 3-22 act if the person: 3-23 (1) knowingly or intentionally makes or causes to be 3-24 made a false statement or misrepresentation of a material fact: 3-25 (A) on an application for a contract, benefit, 3-26 or payment under the Medicaid program; or 3-27 (B) that is intended to be used to determine a 4-1 person's eligibility for a benefit or payment under the Medicaid 4-2 program; 4-3 (2) knowingly or intentionally conceals or fails to 4-4 disclose an event: 4-5 (A) that the person knows affects the initial or 4-6 continued right to a benefit or payment under the Medicaid program 4-7 of: 4-8 (i) the person; or 4-9 (ii) another person on whose behalf the 4-10 person has applied for a benefit or payment or is receiving a 4-11 benefit or payment; and 4-12 (B) to permit a person to receive a benefit or 4-13 payment that is not authorized or that is greater than the payment 4-14 or benefit that is authorized; 4-15 (3) knowingly or intentionally applies for and 4-16 receives a benefit or payment on behalf of another person under the 4-17 Medicaid program and converts any part of the benefit or payment to 4-18 a use other than for the benefit of the person on whose behalf it 4-19 was received; 4-20 (4) knowingly or intentionally makes, causes to be 4-21 made, induces, or seeks to induce the making of a false statement 4-22 or misrepresentation of material fact concerning: 4-23 (A) the conditions or operation of a facility in 4-24 order that the facility may qualify for certification or 4-25 recertification required by the Medicaid program, including 4-26 certification or recertification as: 4-27 (i) a hospital; 5-1 (ii) a nursing facility or skilled nursing 5-2 facility; 5-3 (iii) a hospice; 5-4 (iv) an intermediate care facility for the 5-5 mentally retarded; 5-6 (v) a personal care facility; or 5-7 (vi) a home health agency; or 5-8 (B) information required to be provided by a 5-9 federal or state law, rule, regulation, or provider agreement 5-10 pertaining to the Medicaid program; 5-11 (5) except as authorized under the Medicaid program, 5-12 knowingly or intentionally charges, solicits, accepts, or receives, 5-13 in addition to an amount paid under the Medicaid program, a gift, 5-14 money, a donation, or other consideration as a condition to the 5-15 provision of a service or continued service to a Medicaid recipient 5-16 if the cost of the service provided to the Medicaid recipient is 5-17 paid for, in whole or in part, under the Medicaid program; 5-18 (6) knowingly or intentionally presents or causes to 5-19 be presented a claim for payment under the Medicaid program for a 5-20 product provided or a service rendered by a person who: 5-21 (A) is not licensed to provide the product or 5-22 render the service, if a license is required; or 5-23 (B) is not licensed in the manner claimed; 5-24 (7) knowingly or intentionally makes a claim under the 5-25 Medicaid program for: 5-26 (A) a service or product that has not been 5-27 approved or acquiesced in by a treating physician or health care 6-1 practitioner; 6-2 (B) a service or product that is substantially 6-3 inadequate or inappropriate when compared to generally recognized 6-4 standards within the particular discipline or within the health 6-5 care industry; or 6-6 (C) a product that has been adulterated, 6-7 debased, mislabeled, or that is otherwise inappropriate; 6-8 (8) makes a claim under the Medicaid program and 6-9 knowingly or intentionally fails to indicate the type of license 6-10 and the identification number of the licensed health care provider 6-11 who actually provided the service; or 6-12 (9) knowingly or intentionally enters into an 6-13 agreement, combination, or conspiracy to defraud the state by 6-14 obtaining or aiding another person in obtaining an unauthorized 6-15 payment or benefit from the Medicaid program or a fiscal agent. 6-16 Sec. 36.003. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. (a) If the attorney 6-17 general has reason to believe that a person is committing, has 6-18 committed, or is about to commit an unlawful act, the attorney 6-19 general may institute an action for an appropriate order to 6-20 restrain the person from committing or continuing to commit the 6-21 act. 6-22 (b) An action under this section shall be brought in a 6-23 district court of Travis County or of a county in which any part of 6-24 the unlawful act occurred, is occurring, or is about to occur. 6-25 Sec. 36.004. CIVIL REMEDIES. (a) Except as provided by 6-26 Subsection (c), a person who commits an unlawful act is liable to 6-27 the state for: 7-1 (1) restitution of the value of any payment or 7-2 monetary or in-kind benefit provided under the Medicaid program, 7-3 directly or indirectly, as a result of the unlawful act; 7-4 (2) interest on the value of the payment or benefit 7-5 described by Subdivision (1) at the prejudgment interest rate in 7-6 effect on the day the payment or benefit was received or paid, for 7-7 the period from the date the benefit was received or paid to the 7-8 date that restitution is paid to the state; 7-9 (3) a civil penalty of not less than $1,000 or more 7-10 than $10,000 for each unlawful act committed by the person; and 7-11 (4) two times the value of the payment or benefit 7-12 described by Subdivision (1). 7-13 (b) In determining the amount of the civil penalty described 7-14 by Subsection (a)(3), the trier of fact shall consider: 7-15 (1) whether the person has previously violated the 7-16 provisions of this chapter; 7-17 (2) the seriousness of the unlawful act committed by 7-18 the person, including the nature, circumstances, extent, and 7-19 gravity of the unlawful act; 7-20 (3) whether the health and safety of the public or an 7-21 individual was threatened by the unlawful act; 7-22 (4) whether the person acted in bad faith when the 7-23 person engaged in the conduct that formed the basis of the unlawful 7-24 act; and 7-25 (5) the amount necessary to deter future unlawful 7-26 acts. 7-27 (c) The trier of fact may assess a total of not more than 8-1 two times the value of a payment or benefit described by Subsection 8-2 (a)(1) if the trier of fact finds that: 8-3 (1) the person furnished the attorney general with all 8-4 information known to the person about the unlawful act not later 8-5 than the 30th day after the date on which the person first obtained 8-6 the information; and 8-7 (2) at the time the person furnished all the 8-8 information to the attorney general, the attorney general had not 8-9 yet begun an investigation under this chapter. 8-10 (d) An action under this section shall be brought in Travis 8-11 County or in a county in which any part of the unlawful act 8-12 occurred. 8-13 (e) The attorney general may: 8-14 (1) bring an action for civil remedies under this 8-15 section together with a suit for injunctive relief under Section 8-16 36.003; or 8-17 (2) institute an action for civil remedies 8-18 independently of an action for injunctive relief. 8-19 Sec. 36.005. INVESTIGATION. (a) The attorney general may 8-20 take action under Subsection (b) if the attorney general has reason 8-21 to believe that: 8-22 (1) a person has information or custody or control of 8-23 documentary material relevant to the subject matter of an 8-24 investigation of an alleged unlawful act; 8-25 (2) a person is committing, has committed, or is about 8-26 to commit an unlawful act; or 8-27 (3) it is in the public interest to conduct an 9-1 investigation to ascertain whether a person is committing, has 9-2 committed, or is about to commit an unlawful act. 9-3 (b) In investigating an unlawful act, the attorney general 9-4 may: 9-5 (1) require the person to file on a prescribed form a 9-6 statement in writing, under oath or affirmation, as to all the 9-7 facts and circumstances concerning the alleged unlawful act and 9-8 other information considered necessary by the attorney general; 9-9 (2) examine under oath a person in connection with the 9-10 alleged unlawful act; and 9-11 (3) execute in writing and serve on the person a civil 9-12 investigative demand requiring the person to produce the 9-13 documentary material and permit inspection and copying of the 9-14 material under Section 36.006. 9-15 Sec. 36.006. CIVIL INVESTIGATIVE DEMAND. (a) An 9-16 investigative demand must: 9-17 (1) state the rule or statute under which the alleged 9-18 unlawful act is being investigated and the general subject matter 9-19 of the investigation; 9-20 (2) describe the class or classes of documentary 9-21 material to be produced with reasonable specificity to fairly 9-22 indicate the documentary material demanded; 9-23 (3) prescribe a return date within which the 9-24 documentary material is to be produced; and 9-25 (4) identify an authorized employee of the attorney 9-26 general to whom the documentary material is to be made available 9-27 for inspection and copying. 10-1 (b) A civil investigative demand may require disclosure of 10-2 any documentary material that is discoverable under the Texas Rules 10-3 of Civil Procedure. 10-4 (c) Service of an investigative demand may be made by: 10-5 (1) delivering an executed copy of the demand to the 10-6 person to be served or to a partner, an officer, or an agent 10-7 authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of process 10-8 on behalf of that person; 10-9 (2) delivering an executed copy of the demand to the 10-10 principal place of business in this state of the person to be 10-11 served; or 10-12 (3) mailing by registered or certified mail an 10-13 executed copy of the demand addressed to the person to be served at 10-14 the person's principal place of business in this state or, if the 10-15 person has no place of business in this state, to a person's 10-16 principal office or place of business. 10-17 (d) Documentary material demanded under this section shall 10-18 be produced for inspection and copying during normal business hours 10-19 at the office of the attorney general or as agreed by the person 10-20 served and the attorney general. 10-21 (e) Except as ordered by a court for good cause shown, the 10-22 office of the attorney general may not produce for inspection or 10-23 copying or otherwise disclose the contents of documentary material 10-24 obtained under this section to a person other than an authorized 10-25 employee of the attorney general without the consent of the person 10-26 who produced the documentary material. The attorney general shall 10-27 prescribe reasonable terms and conditions allowing the documentary 11-1 material to be available for inspection and copying by the person 11-2 who produced the material or by an authorized representative of 11-3 that person. The attorney general may use the documentary material 11-4 or copies of it as the attorney general determines necessary in the 11-5 enforcement of this chapter, including presentation before a court. 11-6 (f) A person may file a petition, stating good cause, to 11-7 extend the return date for the demand or to modify or set aside the 11-8 demand. A petition under this section shall be filed in a district 11-9 court of Travis County and must be filed before the earlier of: 11-10 (1) the return date specified in the demand; or 11-11 (2) the 20th day after the date the demand is served. 11-12 (g) Except as provided by court order, a person on whom a 11-13 demand has been served under this section shall comply with the 11-14 terms of an investigative demand. 11-15 (h) A person who has committed an unlawful act in relation 11-16 to the Medicaid program in this state has submitted to the 11-17 jurisdiction of this state and personal service of an investigative 11-18 demand under this section may be made on the person outside of this 11-19 state. 11-20 (i) This section does not limit the authority of the 11-21 attorney general to conduct investigations or to access a person's 11-22 documentary materials or other information under another state or 11-23 federal law, the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, or the Federal 11-24 Rules of Civil Procedure. 11-25 (j) If a person fails to comply with an investigative 11-26 demand, or if copying and reproduction of the documentary material 11-27 demanded cannot be satisfactorily accomplished and the person 12-1 refuses to surrender the documentary material, the attorney general 12-2 may file in a district court of Travis County a petition for an 12-3 order to enforce the investigative demand. 12-4 (k) If a petition is filed under Subsection (j), the court 12-5 may determine the matter presented and may enter an order to 12-6 implement this section. 12-7 (l) Failure to comply with a final order entered under 12-8 Subsection (k) is punishable by contempt. 12-9 (m) A final order issued by a district court under 12-10 Subsection (k) is subject to appeal to the supreme court. 12-11 Sec. 36.007. DOCUMENTARY MATERIAL IN POSSESSION OF STATE 12-12 AGENCY. (a) A state agency, including the Health and Human 12-13 Services Commission, the Texas Department of Human Services, the 12-14 Texas Department of Health, the Texas Department of Mental Health 12-15 and Mental Retardation, or the Department of Protective and 12-16 Regulatory Services, shall provide the attorney general access to 12-17 all documentary materials of persons and Medicaid recipients under 12-18 the Medicaid program to which that agency has access. Documentary 12-19 material provided under this subsection is provided to permit 12-20 investigation of an alleged unlawful act or for use or potential 12-21 use in an administrative or judicial proceeding. 12-22 (b) Except as ordered by a court for good cause shown, the 12-23 office of the attorney general may not produce for inspection or 12-24 copying or otherwise disclose the contents of documentary material 12-25 obtained under this section to a person other than: 12-26 (1) an authorized employee of the attorney general; 12-27 (2) an agency of this state, the United States, or 13-1 another state; 13-2 (3) a criminal district attorney, district attorney, 13-3 or county attorney of this state; 13-4 (4) the United States attorney general; or 13-5 (5) a state or federal grand jury. 13-6 Sec. 36.008. IMMUNITY. Notwithstanding any other law, a 13-7 person is not civilly or criminally liable for providing access to 13-8 documentary material under this chapter to: 13-9 (1) an authorized employee of the attorney general; 13-10 (2) an agency of this state, the United States, or 13-11 another state; 13-12 (3) a criminal district attorney, district attorney, 13-13 or county attorney of this state; 13-14 (4) the United States attorney general; or 13-15 (5) a state or federal grand jury. 13-16 Sec. 36.009. SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF AGREEMENT; 13-17 PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINE. (a) The commissioner of human services, 13-18 the commissioner of public health, the commissioner of mental 13-19 health and mental retardation, the executive director of the 13-20 Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, or the executive 13-21 director of another state health care regulatory agency may suspend 13-22 or revoke: 13-23 (1) a provider agreement between the department or 13-24 agency and a person found liable under Section 36.004; or 13-25 (2) a permit, license, or certification granted by the 13-26 department or agency to a person found liable under Section 36.004. 13-27 (b) A person licensed by a state regulatory agency who 14-1 commits an unlawful act is subject to professional discipline under 14-2 the applicable licensing law or rules adopted under that law. 14-3 Sec. 36.010. APPLICATION OF OTHER LAW. The application of a 14-4 civil remedy under this chapter does not preclude the application 14-5 of another common law, statutory, or regulatory remedy, except that 14-6 a person may not be liable for a civil remedy under this chapter 14-7 and civil damages or a penalty under Section 32.039 if the civil 14-8 remedy and civil damages or penalty are assessed for the same act. 14-9 Sec. 36.011. RECOVERY OF COSTS, FEES, AND EXPENSES. The 14-10 attorney general may recover fees, expenses, and costs reasonably 14-11 incurred in obtaining injunctive relief or civil remedies or in 14-12 conducting investigations under this chapter, including court 14-13 costs, reasonable attorney's fees, witness fees, and deposition 14-14 fees. 14-15 Sec. 36.012. USE OF MONEY RECOVERED. The legislature, in 14-16 appropriating money recovered under this chapter, shall consider 14-17 the requirements of the attorney general and other affected state 14-18 agencies in investigating Medicaid fraud and enforcing this 14-19 chapter. 14-20 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 14-21 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 14-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 14-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 14-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 14-25 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.