(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Statement or representation" means any oral, written, electronic, electronic impulse, or magnetic communication that is used to identify an item of goods or a service for which reimbursement may be made under the medicaid program or that states income and expense and is or may be used to determine a rate of reimbursement under the medicaid program.

(2)

"Provider" means any person who has signed a provider agreement with the department of medicaid to provide goods or services pursuant to the medicaid program or any person who has signed an agreement with a party to such a provider agreement under which the person agrees to provide goods or services that are reimbursable under the medicaid program.

(3) "Provider agreement" has the same meaning as in section 5164.01 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Recipient" means any individual who receives goods or services from a provider under the medicaid program.

(5) "Records" means any medical, professional, financial, or business records relating to the treatment or care of any recipient, to goods or services provided to any recipient, or to rates paid for goods or services provided to any recipient and any records that are required by the rules of the medicaid director to be kept for the medicaid program.

(B) No person shall knowingly make or cause to be made a false or misleading statement or representation for use in obtaining reimbursement from the medicaid program.

(C) No person, with purpose to commit fraud or knowing that the person is facilitating a fraud, shall do either of the following:

(1) Contrary to the terms of the person's provider agreement, charge, solicit, accept, or receive for goods or services that the person provides under the medicaid program any property, money, or other consideration in addition to the amount of reimbursement under the medicaid program and the person's provider agreement for the goods or services and any cost-sharing expenses authorized by section 5162.20 of the Revised Code or rules adopted by the medicaid director regarding the medicaid program.

(2) Solicit, offer, or receive any remuneration, other than any cost-sharing expenses authorized by section 5162.20 of the Revised Code or rules adopted by the medicaid director regarding the medicaid program, in cash or in kind, including, but not limited to, a kickback or rebate, in connection with the furnishing of goods or services for which whole or partial reimbursement is or may be made under the medicaid program.

(D) No person, having submitted a claim for or provided goods or services under the medicaid program, shall do either of the following for a period of at least six years after a reimbursement pursuant to that claim, or a reimbursement for those goods or services, is received under the medicaid program:

(1) Knowingly alter, falsify, destroy, conceal, or remove any records that are necessary to fully disclose the nature of all goods or services for which the claim was submitted, or for which reimbursement was received, by the person;

(2) Knowingly alter, falsify, destroy, conceal, or remove any records that are necessary to disclose fully all income and expenditures upon which rates of reimbursements were based for the person.

(E) Whoever violates this section is guilty of medicaid fraud. Except as otherwise provided in this division, medicaid fraud is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the value of property, services, or funds obtained in violation of this section is one thousand dollars or more and is less than seven thousand five hundred dollars, medicaid fraud is a felony of the fifth degree. If the value of property, services, or funds obtained in violation of this section is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more and is less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars, medicaid fraud is a felony of the fourth degree. If the value of the property, services, or funds obtained in violation of this section is one hundred fifty thousand dollars or more, medicaid fraud is a felony of the third degree.

(F) Upon application of the governmental agency, office, or other entity that conducted the investigation and prosecution in a case under this section, the court shall order any person who is convicted of a violation of this section for receiving any reimbursement for furnishing goods or services under the medicaid program to which the person is not entitled to pay to the applicant its cost of investigating and prosecuting the case. The costs of investigation and prosecution that a defendant is ordered to pay pursuant to this division shall be in addition to any other penalties for the receipt of that reimbursement that are provided in this section, section 5164.35 of the Revised Code, or any other provision of law.

(G) The provisions of this section are not intended to be exclusive remedies and do not preclude the use of any other criminal or civil remedy for any act that is in violation of this section.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.29, HB 86, §1, eff. 9/30/2011.

Effective Date: 06-05-2002; 09-29-2005; 2007 HB119 09-29-2007.

Related Legislative Provision: See 129th General AssemblyFile No.29, HB 86, §4 .