Senate Bill sb1412c2

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412

    By the Committees on Judiciary; and Health Care





    590-2097-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Medicaid fraud and abuse;

  3         creating s. 409.9135, F.S.; requiring that

  4         managed care organizations providing or

  5         arranging services for Medicaid recipients

  6         establish and maintain special investigative

  7         units; requiring each managed care organization

  8         to submit a plan for detecting and preventing

  9         fraud and abuse within the Medicaid program to

10         the Agency for Health Care Administration;

11         specifying requirements that must be met if a

12         managed care organization contracts with

13         another entity to conduct activities to detect

14         and prevent fraud and abuse; providing that the

15         act does not create a private right of action;

16         authorizing the Office of the Inspector General

17         in the agency, the agency's Bureau of Program

18         Integrity, the agency's contract management

19         staff, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to

20         review records and determine compliance with

21         the act; requiring managed care organizations

22         to file a report with the Office of the

23         Inspector General if a fraudulent or abusive

24         act is suspected; specifying the information to

25         be included in a report of suspected fraud or

26         abuse; providing civil immunity to any person

27         or entity that reports suspected fraud or

28         abuse; authorizing designated staff of a

29         managed care organization to share information

30         concerning suspected fraud or abuse; requiring

31         representatives from managed care organizations

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412
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 1         and other specified governmental organizations

 2         to meet at least twice each year to review and

 3         discuss fraud and abuse case studies and

 4         enforcement matters; requiring that any

 5         recovery of funds by the state from a Medicaid

 6         provider or recipient representing payment or

 7         payments made by a managed care organization

 8         compensated by the state by capitation be

 9         returned to the capitated managed care

10         organization from which the payment to the

11         Medicaid provider or recipient originated;

12         providing exceptions; directing the Medicaid

13         Fraud Control Unit, in conjunction with managed

14         care organizations, to track and publish on an

15         annual basis all Medicaid fraud recoveries made

16         under the act; providing rulemaking authority;

17         providing an exemption from the application of

18         certain provisions regarding the investigation

19         of insurance fraud; providing an exemption for

20         the Children's Medical Services Program;

21         requiring the program to coordinate activities

22         with the inspector general of the agency;

23         requiring the agency to create a system to

24         validate information collected by a Medicaid

25         encounter-data system; requiring that the

26         agency report on its efforts to coordinate

27         anti-fraud and abuse systems related to managed

28         care organizations to the Governor and the

29         Legislature; providing an effective date.

30  

31  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412
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 1         Section 1.  Section 409.9135, Florida Statutes, is

 2  created to read:

 3         409.9135  Medicaid managed care organizations' special

 4  investigative units or contracts; plans to prevent or reduce

 5  fraud and abuse.--Each managed care organization that provides

 6  or arranges for the provision of health care services to

 7  Medicaid recipients under this chapter shall establish and

 8  maintain a special investigative unit to investigate

 9  fraudulent claims and other types of program abuse by

10  recipients and service providers. A managed care organization

11  may contract with another entity for the investigation of

12  fraudulent claims and other types of program abuse by

13  recipients and service providers. As used in this section, the

14  terms "abuse," "fraud," and "overpayment" have the same

15  meanings as in s. 409.913.

16         (1)  Each managed care organization shall adopt a plan

17  to prevent and reduce fraud and abuse and annually file that

18  plan with the Office of the Inspector General in the agency

19  for approval. The plan must include:

20         (a)  A general description of the managed care

21  organization's procedures for detecting and investigating

22  possible acts of fraud, abuse, or overpayment;

23         (b)  A description of the managed care organization's

24  procedures for the mandatory reporting of possible acts of

25  fraud or abuse to the Office of the Inspector General in the

26  agency;

27         (c)  A description of the managed care organization's

28  procedures for educating and training personnel on how to

29  detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or overpayment;

30  

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412
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 1         (d)  The name, address, telephone number, and fax

 2  number of the individual responsible for carrying out the

 3  plan;

 4         (e)  A description or chart outlining the

 5  organizational arrangement of the managed care organization's

 6  personnel who are responsible for investigating and reporting

 7  possible acts of fraud, abuse, or overpayment;

 8         (f)  A summary of the results of investigations of

 9  fraud, abuse, or overpayment which were conducted during the

10  past year by the managed care organization's special

11  investigative unit or its contractor; and

12         (g)  Provisions for maintaining the confidentiality of

13  any patient information that is relevant to an investigation

14  of fraud, abuse, or overpayment.

15         (2)  If a managed care organization contracts for the

16  investigation of fraudulent claims and other types of program

17  abuse by recipients or service providers, the managed care

18  organization shall file the following with the Office of the

19  Inspector General in the agency for approval before the

20  managed care plan implements any contracts for fraud and abuse

21  prevention and detection:

22         (a)  A copy of the written contract between the managed

23  care organization and the contracting entity;

24         (b)  The names, addresses, telephone numbers, and fax

25  numbers of the principals of the entity with which the managed

26  care organization has contracted; and

27         (c)  A description of the qualifications of the

28  principals of the entity with which the managed care

29  organization has contracted.

30         (3)  This section does not create a private right of

31  action related to any violation of this section. The Office of

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412
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 1  the Inspector General in the agency, the agency's Bureau of

 2  Program Integrity, the agency's contract management staff, and

 3  the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Attorney

 4  General may review the records of a managed care organization

 5  and its subcontractors to determine compliance with this

 6  section. If a managed care organization or its subcontractors

 7  fail to comply with the requirements of this section, the

 8  agency shall take appropriate administrative action as

 9  provided in section 409.913.

10         (4)(a)  Upon detecting acts by providers or recipients

11  that the managed care organization believes are fraudulent,

12  the managed care organization must report the acts to the

13  Office of the Inspector General in the agency. At a minimum,

14  the report must contain the name of the provider or recipient,

15  the Medicaid billing number or tax identification number of

16  the provider or the Medicaid recipient's identification

17  number, and a description of the suspected fraudulent act. The

18  managed care organization must report acts of suspected fraud

19  under this section no later than 15 days after the managed

20  care organization initially detects the suspicious fraudulent

21  activity.

22         (b)  The Office of the Inspector General in the agency

23  shall forward the report of suspected fraud to the appropriate

24  investigative unit, including, but not limited to, the

25  Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Attorney

26  General and the Department of Law Enforcement.

27         (c)  Upon detecting acts by providers or recipients

28  which the managed care organization suspects are abusive, the

29  managed care organization shall thoroughly review the acts to

30  eliminate instances of simple error or routine anomalies in

31  billing practices or health care service delivery. If

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412
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 1  suspected abusive acts by providers or recipients are not

 2  eliminated by the review or are determined by the managed care

 3  organization not to be simple error or routine anomalies in

 4  billing practices or health care service delivery, the managed

 5  care organization shall report such acts to the Office of the

 6  Inspector General in the agency. At a minimum, the report must

 7  contain the name of the provider or recipient, the Medicaid

 8  billing number or tax identification number of the provider or

 9  the Medicaid recipient's identification number, and a

10  description of the suspected abusive act. The managed care

11  organization shall provide reportable acts of suspected abuse

12  to the Office of the Inspector General in the agency no later

13  than 30 days after the act is determined not to be simple

14  error or routine anomalies in billing practices or health care

15  service delivery.

16         (d)  The Office of the Inspector General in the agency

17  shall forward the report of suspected abuse to the appropriate

18  investigative unit, including, but not limited to, the

19  agency's Bureau of Program Integrity, the Medicaid Fraud

20  Control Unit in the Office of the Attorney General, or the

21  Department of Law Enforcement.

22         (5)  A person or managed care organization is not

23  subject to civil liability of any nature absent proof by clear

24  and convincing evidence of a specific intent to harm a person

25  or entity that is the subject of any report or reports

26  regarding:

27         (a)  Any information relating to suspected fraudulent

28  or abusive acts, or persons suspected of engaging in such

29  acts, which is furnished to or received from law enforcement

30  officials, their agents, or employees;

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412
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 1         (b)  Any information relating to suspected fraudulent

 2  or abusive acts, or persons suspected of engaging in such

 3  acts, which is furnished to or received from other persons

 4  subject to the provisions of this chapter;

 5         (c)  Any such information furnished in reports to the

 6  agency, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of

 7  Law Enforcement, or any other local, state, or federal law

 8  enforcement officials or their agents or employees; or

 9         (d)  Other actions taken in cooperation with any of the

10  agencies or individuals specified in this subsection in the

11  lawful investigation of suspected fraudulent or abusive acts.

12         (6)  In addition to the immunity granted in subsection

13  (5), an employee or contractor of a managed care organization

14  whose responsibilities include the investigation and

15  disposition of claims relating to suspected fraudulent or

16  abusive acts may share information relating to persons

17  suspected of committing fraudulent or abusive acts with the

18  employees or contractors of the same or other managed care

19  organization whose responsibilities include the investigation

20  and disposition of claims relating to fraudulent or abusive

21  acts. A person or managed care organization is not subject to

22  civil liability of any nature absent proof by clear and

23  convincing evidence of a specific intent to harm a person or

24  entity that is the subject of information-sharing or reporting

25  under the provisions of this subsection.

26         (7)  This section does not abrogate or modify in any

27  way any common-law or statutory privilege or immunity

28  heretofore enjoyed by any person.

29         (8)  Representatives from managed care organizations,

30  Medicaid, the Office of the Inspector General of the agency,

31  the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Department of Law

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412
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 1  Enforcement shall meet at least twice each year to review and

 2  discuss fraud and abuse case studies and enforcement matters.

 3         (9)  Any Medicaid funds recovered by the state from a

 4  provider or recipient representing payment or payments made by

 5  a managed care organization compensated by the state by

 6  capitation shall be returned to the capitated managed care

 7  organization from which the payment to the provider or

 8  recipient originated, including interest, if any. The agency,

 9  the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Department of Law

10  Enforcement may not return recovered funds associated with a

11  fraudulent or abusive act committed by an employee or agent of

12  the managed care organization if the officers, directors, or

13  managing agents of the managed care organization actively and

14  knowingly participated in the fraud or abuse or negligently

15  failed to monitor and prevent activities constituting fraud or

16  abuse. Any funds returned to a managed care organization may

17  not include monetary fines, penalties, or sanctions imposed by

18  the agency, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, or the Department

19  of Law Enforcement under s. 409.913 which do not represent

20  payment or payments made by a managed care organization. The

21  agency, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Department of

22  Law Enforcement may recover investigative, legal, and expert

23  witness costs, if any, under s. 409.913 which are separate and

24  apart from recovery of payment or payments made by a managed

25  care organization.

26         (10)  The agency and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit,

27  in conjunction with managed care organizations, must track and

28  publish on an annual basis all Medicaid fraud recoveries by

29  providers made under this section. Such information shall be

30  submitted to the Department of Health by the provider as

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412
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 1  required by law in order that the Department of Health can

 2  publish the information on the physician's profile.

 3         (11)  The agency shall adopt rules to administer this

 4  section.

 5         (12)  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary,

 6  health maintenance organizations under contract with the

 7  agency under s. 409.912 or s. 409.91211 are exempt from ss.

 8  626.989 and 626.9891 for Medicaid lines of business.

 9         (13)  The Children's Medical Services Program of the

10  Department of Health, as described in chapter 391, is exempt

11  from the requirements of this section. The Children's Medical

12  Services Program shall coordinate activities related to the

13  identification and reporting of suspected fraud, abuse, or

14  overpayment with the inspector general of the agency.

15         Section 2.  The Agency for Health Care Administration

16  shall develop and implement a methodology to validate the

17  information that is collected by any encounter-data-reporting

18  system and used for tracking the services provided to Medicaid

19  recipients through managed care organizations. This validation

20  methodology shall assess whether the encounter-data-reporting

21  system accurately reflects, at a minimum, the following items:

22         (1)  The demographic characteristics of the patient.

23         (2)  The principal, secondary, and tertiary diagnosis.

24         (3)  The procedure performed.

25         (4)  The date and location where the procedure was

26  performed.

27         (5)  The payment for the procedure, if any.

28         (6)  If applicable, the health care practitioner's

29  universal identification number.

30         (7)  If the health care practitioner rendering the

31  service is a dependent practitioner, the modifiers appropriate

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412
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 1  to indicate that the service was delivered by the dependent

 2  practitioner.

 3         (8)  Prescription drugs for each type of patient

 4  encounter.

 5         (9)  Appropriate information related to health care

 6  costs and utilization from managed care plans.

 7         Section 3.  The Agency for Health Care Administration

 8  shall report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and

 9  the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1,

10  2007, on how the agency is coordinating its internal

11  anti-fraud and abuse-prevention and detection systems as they

12  apply to managed care organizations. This report must include

13  a description of how information is coordinated and shared

14  among managed care organizations, the agency, and other

15  governmental entities that are responsible for preventing,

16  detecting, and prosecuting Medicaid provider and recipient

17  fraud or abuse. The agency may include the content of this

18  section in its annual report to the Legislature concerning

19  Medicaid fraud and its abuse-prevention and detection

20  activities as required by s. 409.913, Florida Statutes, in

21  lieu of a separate report.

22         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                    CS for CS for SB 1412
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 1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 2                     CS for Senate Bill 1412

 3                                 

 4  Adds provision exempting the Children's Medical Services (CMS)
    Program of the Department of Health from the requirements of
 5  the section of the bill requiring the establishment of a
    special investigative unit to investigate fraudulent claims
 6  and other types of program abuse.

 7  Adds provision requiring CMS to coordinate activities related
    to the identification and reporting of suspected fraud, abuse,
 8  or overpayment with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG)
    in the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
 9  
    Changes the number of days from 15 to 30 for a managed care
10  organization to file a report of suspected abusive acts with
    the OIG in AHCA.
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    Deletes provision providing that a managed care organization
12  would not be liable for the fraud or abuse of an employee or
    agent under certain circumstances.
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