State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SB0754

 
                                               LRB9105850JSpc

 1        AN ACT to create the Medical Fraud Enforcement Act.

 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be  cited  as  the
 5    Medical Fraud Enforcement Act.

 6        Section 5.  Definitions.
 7        "Insurance  fraud"  means the presentation of any written
 8    or oral statement, document, or claim or the  preparation  of
 9    any statement, document, or claim with the intention that the
10    statement,  document,  or  claim  will be presented, that the
11    person knew or should have known contained materially  false,
12    incomplete,  or  misleading information concerning any of the
13    following:
14             (1)  An application for the issuance of an insurance
15        policy or managed care plan.
16             (2)  A claim for payment, reimbursement, or benefits
17        payable  under  an  insurance  policy,  provider  network
18        arrangement, or managed care plan.
19             (3)  Encounter or other  data  for  the  purpose  of
20        justifying   capitation   payments   of  other  financial
21        arrangements under an insurance policy, provider  network
22        arrangement, or managed care plan.
23             (4)  A  payment made in accordance with the terms of
24        an insurance policy,  provider  network  arrangement,  or
25        managed care plan.
26             (5)  A  premium  on  an  insurance policy or managed
27        care plan.
28             (6)  The rating of an insurance  policy  or  managed
29        care plan.
30        "Medical  Fraud" means the presentation of any written or
31    oral statement, document, or claim, or the preparation of any
 
                            -2-                LRB9105850JSpc
 1    such statement, document, or claim with  the  intention  that
 2    the statement, document, or claim will be presented, that the
 3    person  knew or should have known contained materially false,
 4    incomplete, or misleading information, concerning any of  the
 5    following:
 6             (1)  An application for the issuance of an insurance
 7        policy or managed care plan.
 8             (2)  A  statement  or  other  description of medical
 9        services  rendered  including,  but  not  limited  to,  a
10        medical record, a completed or partially  completed  HCFA
11        1500 form, a completed or partially completed UB-92 form,
12        a  procedure  or diagnosis coding, or any other statement
13        of charges or services rendered.
14             (3)  A claim for payment, reimbursement, or benefits
15        payable  under  an  insurance  policy,  provider  network
16        arrangement, or managed care plan.
17             (4)  Encounter, qualitative, utilization,  or  other
18        data  representation  of  medical practice activities and
19        patterns.
20             (5)  A payment made in accordance with the terms  of
21        an  insurance  policy,  provider  network arrangement, or
22        managed care plan.
23             (6)  A premium on an  insurance  policy  or  managed
24        care plan.
25             (7)  The  rating  of  an insurance policy or managed
26        care plan.

27        Section 10.  Medical Fraud  Enforcement  Fund.  There  is
28    created  the Medical Fraud Enforcement Fund as a special Fund
29    in the State treasury. Subject to appropriation,  the  moneys
30    in  the  Fund  shall  be  used to fund the Attorney General's
31    vigorous efforts to fight medical fraud.

32        Section 15.  Disposition of  fines  imposed  for  medical
 
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 1    fraud.
 2        (a)  If  a  court  finds  that  a  person has committed a
 3    medical fraud, the court shall impose  a  fine  equal  to  at
 4    least  2  times the amount of the medical fraud.  In the case
 5    of duplicate fines  for  a  single  violation  or  series  of
 6    violations,  the  fines  shall  not  be  cumulative,  but the
 7    greater fine shall be imposed.
 8        (b)  The court shall determine the amount of the person's
 9    medical fraud as follows:
10             (1)  the aggregate  dollar  amount  of  all  medical
11        bills,  insurance  claims,  capitation payments, or other
12        financial instruments received, submitted for payment, or
13        submitted to justify payment, directly or indirectly,  as
14        part of the medical fraud; and
15             (2)  the  aggregate  expense  to  the  government to
16        investigate and prosecute the medical fraud.
17        (c)  The circuit clerk of the court imposing a  fine  for
18    medical fraud pursuant to this Act shall collect and transmit
19    the moneys received under this Act to the State Treasurer for
20    deposit into the Medical Fraud Enforcement Fund.
21        (d)  The  State Treasurer shall deposit the amount of all
22    fines under this Act into the Medical Fraud Enforcement Fund.

23        Section 20.  Medical fraud assessment.
24        (a)  If a court imposes a fine  for  medical  fraud,  the
25    court  shall,  in  addition  to the fines imposed pursuant to
26    this Act, impose a medical fraud assessment of not less  than
27    75% of the amount of the fine.
28        (b)  If  any  deposit  is  made for an offense subject to
29    this Act, the person making the deposit shall also deposit  a
30    sufficient  amount  to  include  the medical fraud assessment
31    prescribed in this Section.  If the deposit is forfeited  for
32    whatever  reason,  the  corresponding  amount  of the medical
33    fraud  assessment  shall  also   be   forfeited   and   shall
 
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 1    immediately be transmitted to the State Treasurer.
 2        (c)  The  circuit clerk of the court imposing any medical
 3    assessment  pursuant  to  this  Section  shall  collect   and
 4    transmit   the   medical   fraud  assessments  to  the  State
 5    Treasurer.
 6        (d)  The State Treasurer shall deposit the amount of  all
 7    medical  fraud assessments into the Medical Fraud Enforcement
 8    Fund.

 9    Section 25.  Medical fraud restitution payment.
10        (a)  If a court imposes a fine  for  medical  fraud,  the
11    court  shall impose a medical fraud restitution payment equal
12    to the following:
13             (1)  the aggregate  dollar  amount  of  all  medical
14        bills,  insurance  claims,  capitation payments, or other
15        financial instruments received, submitted for payment, or
16        submitted to justify payment, directly or indirectly,  as
17        part of the medical fraud; and
18             (2)  the  aggregate  cost  to  the  payer, including
19        attorney's fees, to enforce the provisions of  a  private
20        contract  violated  by  the  person  in  perpetrating the
21        medical fraud. The amount  shall  be  determined  by  the
22        court,   but   the  court  shall  consider  all  evidence
23        submitted by the payer to justify  its  costs,  including
24        attorney's fees.
25        (b)  If  a  fine  is  suspended only in part, the medical
26    fraud restitution payment shall not be reduced.
27        (c)  If any deposit is made for an offense to which  this
28    Section  applies,  the  person  making the deposit shall also
29    deposit a sufficient amount  to  include  the  medical  fraud
30    restitution  payment  prescribed  in  this  Section.   If the
31    deposit  is  forfeited,  the  amount  of  the  medical  fraud
32    restitution  payment  shall  be  transmitted  to  the   State
33    Treasurer.
 
                            -5-                LRB9105850JSpc
 1        (d)  The  circuit  clerk  of  the court shall collect and
 2    transmit to the State Treasurer the medical fraud restitution
 3    payment and other amounts collected pursuant to this Section.
 4        (e)  The State Treasurer shall deposit the amount of  the
 5    restitution payments into the Medical Fraud Enforcement Fund.
 6        (f)  In  the  case  of  medical  fraud  court action, the
 7    minimum  amounts  required  for  mandatory  assessments   and
 8    restitution  under  this  Section  shall not be considered in
 9    determining the amount of the medical fraud fine.

10        Section 30.  Injunction.
11        (a)  The Attorney General shall seek and  may  obtain  an
12    injunction  that  prohibits  a  person  from  engaging in the
13    practice or doing any acts that constitute medical fraud.
14        (b)  The court may enter any order or judgement  that  is
15    necessary to:
16             (1)  prevent  any  act  or practice that constitutes
17        medical fraud;
18             (2)  return  any  moneys,  interest,  or   real   or
19        personal property that was acquired by an act or practice
20        that constitutes medical fraud; and
21             (3)  enforce  medical  fraud fines, assessments, and
22        orders  of  restitution,  which  may   include   expenses
23        incurred  and  paid  by an insurer in connection with any
24        medical evaluation or treatment services.

25        Section  35.  Civil  immunity   exemption;   reports   of
26    insurance fraud.
27        (a)  A  person who, absent malice, files a report with or
28    furnishes   information   concerning   alleged,    suspected,
29    anticipated,  or  completed  insurance  fraud  is immune from
30    civil liability for his or her acts or  omissions  in  filing
31    the  report  or  furnishing  the  information  to  any of the
32    following or to their agents, employees, or designees:
 
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 1             (1)  The Department of Insurance.
 2             (2)  A law enforcement officer.
 3             (3)  The   National   Association    of    Insurance
 4        Commissioners.
 5             (4)  Any  governmental  agency established to detect
 6        and prevent insurance fraud.
 7             (5)  Any insurer or authorized representative of  an
 8        insurer  for  the  purpose  of  detecting  or  preventing
 9        insurance fraud.
10        (b)  Any  information furnished by an insurer in response
11    to a report or information furnished under subsection (a)  is
12    confidential  and  may  be  made public only if required in a
13    civil or criminal action.
14        (c)  If a civil action is commenced against a person  for
15    damages  related  to the filing of a report or the furnishing
16    of information under subsection (a) and the court  determines
17    that the person is immune from civil liability for his or her
18    acts  or  omissions  in  filing  the report or furnishing the
19    information, the person filing the report or  furnishing  the
20    information  shall  be  entitled  to recover costs, including
21    reasonable attorney's fees.

22        Section 40.  Public disclosure of acts or suspected  acts
23    of medical fraud.
24        (a)  The  circuit  clerk  of  the  court having imposed a
25    fine, assessment, or requirement  of  restitution  against  a
26    person   for   medical  fraud  shall  immediately  make  such
27    information  available  to  the  Department  of  Professional
28    Regulation.
29        (b)  The Department of Professional Regulation shall make
30    a summary of all acts  of  medical  fraud  available  to  the
31    public through at least all of the following means:
32             (1)  a   publicly  accessible,  government  Internet
33        site;
 
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 1             (2)  a written notification  to  the  Department  of
 2        Insurance, the Department of Public Health, the  National
 3        Practitioner's  Data  Bank,  and  the Federation of State
 4        Medical Boards; and
 5             (3)  a  written  publication,   updated   at   least
 6        monthly, made available to the public upon request.
 7        (c)  The  Department  of  Professional  Regulation  shall
 8    protect  the  privacy of any innocent person not party to the
 9    medical fraud.
10        (d)  Information made available  pursuant  to  subsection
11    (b)   may  be  removed  by  the  Department  of  Professional
12    Regulation only upon death of the person having committed the
13    act or acts of medical fraud.
14        (e)  All licensed providers practicing in this State  are
15    required to provide to each patient of the provider a written
16    disclosure  of  the  right  to file a suspected medical fraud
17    complaint.
18        (f)  The disclosure required under subsection  (e)  shall
19    be  provided  to  the  patient each time a statement or other
20    description of medical services rendered is provided  to  the
21    patient,  including cases where the statement is submitted to
22    an insurer for insurance benefits pursuant to  an  assignment
23    of benefits.
24        (g)  The  disclosure  required under subsection (e) shall
25    include at least all of the following:
26             (1)  the  name,  license,  physical  address,  phone
27        number, and  electronic  mail  address  if  any,  of  the
28        provider;
29             (2)  the  name, government agency, physical address,
30        phone number, and electronic mail address if any, of  the
31        Attorney  General's  office  to  which a complaint may be
32        forwarded; and
33             (3)  a  brief  statement  explaining  the  citizen's
34        right to, and process to, file a complaint of a suspected
 
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 1        medical fraud,  including  a  description  of  the  civil
 2        immunity provided in Section 35 of this Act.
 3        (h)  The Department of Professional Regulation  shall, by
 4    rule,  promulgate  the  language of a standard statement that
 5    shall be used by all licensed  providers  in  this  State  to
 6    satisfy  the requirements of subsections (e), (f) and (g). At
 7    its  discretion,  the  Department's  rule  may  provide   for
 8    different language for different provider types.

 9        Section  90.  The  State Finance Act is amended by adding
10    Section 5.490 as follows:

11        (30 ILCS 105/5.490 new)
12        Sec. 5.490.  The Medical Fraud Enforcement Fund.

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