(A) The department of health shall receive complaints alleging violations of section 4769.02 of the Revised Code.
(B) The department shall make findings regarding complaints of alleged violations of section 4769.02 of the Revised Code. The department shall not make findings until after doing all of the following:
(1) Investigating the complaint and determining that there is a reasonable basis for it;
(2) Giving notice to the person named in the complaint and affording a period of ten days following issuance of the notice during which the person may correct an alleged violation by reimbursing the medicare beneficiary or crediting the beneficiary's account in an amount specified by the department;
(3) If the person named in the complaint does not choose to correct the alleged violation, giving the person notice and a reasonable opportunity for an adjudication hearing in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.
(C) When the department finds, pursuant to division (B) of this section, that section 4769.02 of the Revised Code has been violated, the department may do any of the following:
(1) Publicly reprimand the violator;
(2) Issue an adjudication order requiring the violator to repay the medicare beneficiary an amount equal to the difference between the amount reimbursable under medicare and the payment received, plus interest on that amount at the rate prescribed under section 5703.47 of the Revised Code, from the date the beneficiary made payment until the date of the repayment;
(3) Issue an adjudication order imposing a penalty of five hundred dollars.
(D) When the department finds, pursuant to division (B) of this section, second and subsequent violations of section 4769.02 of the Revised Code by the same person, the department shall, in addition to imposing the penalties authorized by division (C) of this section, issue an adjudication order imposing a penalty of two thousand dollars for each violation subsequent to the first violation.
(E) If a violator of section 4769.02 of the Revised Code waived the right to a hearing under division (B)(3) of this section, the department shall reduce any monetary penalties imposed under division (C)(3) or (D) of this section by at least thirty-five per cent.
(F) If a violator is a corporation or partnership, an adjudication order under division (C) or (D) of this section may be issued to any corporate officer, any general partner, and any health care practitioner who is found pursuant to the investigation or hearing conducted under division (B) of this section to have had knowledge of, should have known of, or to have knowingly participated in a violation of section 4769.02 of the Revised Code.
(G) No penalty imposed under this section is cause to limit, deny, suspend, revoke, or deny the renewal of the license, certification, or registration of a health care practitioner; to refuse to license, certify, register, or reinstate an applicant for licensure, certification, or registration as a health care practitioner; to place a health care practitioner on probation; or, except as provided in divisions (C) and (D) of this section, to reprimand a health care practitioner.
Effective Date: 11-24-1995
Section: Previous 4769.01 4769.02 4769.03 4769.05 4769.06 4769.07 4769.08 4769.09 4769.10 NextLast modified: October 10, 2016