(A) The department of medicaid may conduct any audits or investigations that are necessary in the performance of the department's duties, and to that end, the department has the same power as a judge of a county court to administer oaths and to enforce the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books or papers.

The department shall keep a record of the department's audits and investigations stating the time, place, charges, or subject; witnesses summoned and examined; and the department's conclusions.

Witnesses shall be paid the fees and mileage provided for under section 119.094 of the Revised Code.

(B) Any judge of any division of the court of common pleas, on application of the department, may compel the attendance of witnesses, the production of books or papers, and the giving of testimony before the department, by a judgment for contempt or otherwise, in the same manner as in cases before those courts.

(C) Until an audit report is formally released by the department, the audit report or any working paper or other document or record prepared by the department and related to the audit that is the subject of the audit report is not a public record under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(D) The medicaid director may adopt rules under section 5160.02 of the Revised Code as necessary to implement this section. The rules shall be adopted in accordance with section 111.15 of the Revised Code as if they were internal management rules.

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