13 CSR 70-3.030
Administrative Actions for Improperly Paid, False, or Fraudulent Claims for MO HealthNet Services
PURPOSE: This rule establishes the basis on which certain claims
for MO HealthNet services or merchandise will be determined to be
improperly paid, false, or fraudulent and lists the administrative
actions that may be imposed and the method of imposing those
actions.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The secretary of state has determined that
publication of the entire text of the material that is incorporated by
reference as a portion of this rule would be unduly cumbersome or
expensive. This material as incorporated by reference in this rule
shall be maintained by the agency at its headquarters and shall be
made available to the public for inspection and copying at no more
than the actual cost of reproduction. This note applies only to the
reference material. The entire text of the rule is printed here.
(1) Administration.
(A) The MO HealthNet program shall be administered by the
Department of Social Services, MO HealthNet Division. The
services covered and not covered, the limitations under which
services are covered, and the maximum allowable fees for all
covered services shall be determined by the division and shall
be included in the MO HealthNet provider manuals, which
are incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule as
published by the Department of Social Services, MO HealthNet
Division, 615 Howerton Court, Jefferson City, MO 65109, at its
website dss.mo.gov/mhd, July 20, 2022. This rule does not incorporate any subsequent amendments or additions.
(B) When a rule published in the Missouri Code of State
Regulations relating to a specific provider type or service
incorporates by reference a MO HealthNet provider manual
which contains a later date of incorporation than 13 CSR 703.030, the manual incorporated into the more specific rule shall
be applied in place of the manual incorporated into 13 CSR 703.030.
(2) The following definitions will be used in administering this
rule:
(A) “Adequate documentation” means documentation from
which services rendered and the amount of reimbursement
received by a provider can be readily discerned and verified
with reasonable certainty. “Adequate medical records” are
records which are of the type and in a form from which
symptoms, conditions, diagnosis, treatments, prognosis, and
the identity of the patient to which these things relate can
be readily discerned and verified with reasonable certainty.
Not all documentation is considered a medical record. Certain
services such as respite, and certain in-home services will not
contain all the information that a medical record contains.
All documentation must be made available at the same site
at which the service was rendered, unless the services were
provided in the participant’s home, via a mobile unit, or
other circumstance that would require the records be kept at
an office location away from the delivery site. An adequate
and complete patient record is a record which is legible,
which is made contemporaneously with the delivery of the
service, which addresses the patient/client specifics, which
include, at a minimum, individualized statements that support
the assessment or treatment encounter, and shall include
documentation of the following information:
1. First name, last name, and either middle initial or date
of birth of the MO HealthNet participant;
2. An accurate, complete, and legible description of each
service(s) provided;
3. Name, title, and signature of the MO HealthNet-enrolled
provider delivering the service. Inpatient hospital services
must have signed and dated physician, physician assistant,
nurse practitioner, or psychologist orders within the patient’s
medical record for the admission and for services billed to
MO HealthNet. For patients registered on hospital records as
outpatient, the patient’s medical record must contain signed
and dated physician orders for services billed to MO HealthNet.
Services provided by an individual under the direction or
supervision are not reimbursed by MO HealthNet. Services
provided by a person not enrolled with MO HealthNet are not
reimbursed by MO HealthNet;
4. The name of the referring entity, when applicable;
5. The date of service (month/day/year);
6. For those MO HealthNet programs and services that are
reimbursed according to the amount of time spent in delivering
or rendering a service(s) (except for services American Medical
Association Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) procedure
codes 99291–99292 and targeted case management services
administered through the Department of Mental Health and as
specified under 13 CSR 70-91.010 Personal Care Program (4)(A))
the actual begin and end time taken to deliver the service (for
example, 4:00–4:30 p.m.) or for Evaluation and Management
(E/M) CPT procedures codes 99202-99215, the total time spent
on the service must be documented;
7. The setting in which the service was rendered;
8. The plan of treatment, evaluation(s), test(s), findings,
results, and prescription(s) as necessary. Where a hospital
acts as an independent laboratory or independent radiology
service for persons considered by the hospital as “nonhospital”
patients, the hospital must have a written request or requisition
slip ordering the tests or procedures;
9. The need for the service(s) in relationship to the MO
HealthNet participant’s treatment plan;
10. The MO HealthNet participant’s progress toward the
goals stated in the treatment plan (progress notes);
11. Long-term care facilities shall be exempt from the
seventy-two- (72-) hour documentation requirements rules
applying to paragraphs (2)(A)9. and (2)(A)10. However,
applicable documentation should be contained and available
in the entirety of the medical record;
12. For applicable programs, it is necessary to have
adequate invoices, trip tickets/reports, activity log sheets,
employee records (excluding health records), and training
records of staff; and
13. A complete patient record must include all
aforementioned requirements unless a more specific provider
regulation applies;
(B) “Closed-end provider agreement” means an agreement
that is for a specified period of time, not to exceed twenty-four
(24) months, and that must be renewed in order for the provider
to continue to participate in the MO HealthNet program;
(C) “Contemporaneous” or “Contemporaneously” means at
the time the service was performed or within five (5) business
days, of the time the service was provided;
(D) “Exclusion” means a penalty where items and services
furnished, ordered, or prescribed by a specified individual or
entity that will not be reimbursed under Medicare, Medicaid,
and all other Federal health care programs until the individual
or entity is reinstated by the Office of Inspector General and
Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance Unit;
(E) “Federal health care program” means a program as
defined in section 1128B(f) of the Social Security Act;
(F) “Fiscal agent” means an organization under contract to
the state MO HealthNet agency for providing any services in
the administration of the MO HealthNet program;
(G) “MO HealthNet agency” or the “agency” or the “single
state agency” means the Department of Social Services, which
is the single state agency charged with administering or
supervising the administration of the MO HealthNet (Medicaid)
program in Missouri;
(H) “Open-end provider agreement” means an agreement
that has no specific termination date and continues in force as
long as it is agreeable to both parties;
(I) “Participation” means the ability and authority to provide
services or merchandise to eligible MO HealthNet participants
and to receive payment from the MO HealthNet program for
those services or merchandise;
(J) “Person” means any natural person, company, firm,
partnership, unincorporated association, corporation, or other
legal entity;
(K) “Provider” means any person, partnership, corporation,
not-for-profit corporation, professional corporation, or
other business entity that enters into a contract or provider
agreement with the department or its divisions for the purpose
of providing services to eligible persons, and obtaining from
the department or its divisions reimbursement pursuant to
208.164, RSMo;
(L) “Record” means any books, papers, journals, charts,
treatment histories, medical histories, tests and laboratory
results, photographs, X rays, and any other recordings of data
or information made by or caused to be made by a provider
relating in any way to services provided to MO HealthNet
participants and payments charged or received. MO HealthNet
claim for payment information, appointment books, financial
ledgers, financial journals, or any other kind of patient charge
without corresponding adequate medical records do not
constitute adequate documentation;
(M) “Supervision” means to direct an employee of the
provider in the performance of a covered and allowable
service such as under the MO HealthNet dental and nurse
midwife programs or a covered and allowable non-psychiatric
service under the MO HealthNet physician program. In order
to direct the performance of such service, the provider must
be in the office where the service is being provided and must
be immediately available to give directions in person to the
employee actually rendering the service and the adequately
documented service must be cosigned by the enrolled billing
provider;
(N) “Suspension from participation” means an exclusion
from participation for a specified period of time;
(O) “Suspension of payments” means placement of payments
due a provider in an escrow account;
(P) “Termination from participation” means the ending of
participation in the MO HealthNet program; and
(Q) “Withholding of payments” means a reduction or
adjustment of the amounts paid to a provider on pending
and subsequently submitted bills for purposes of offsetting
overpayments previously made to the provider.
(3) Program Violations.
(A) Administrative actions may be imposed by the MO
HealthNet agency against a provider for any one (1) or more of
the following reasons:
1. A determination that the provider failed to meet
standards under state or federal law for participation (for
example, licensure);
2. Failure to comply with the provisions of the signed
Missouri Department of Social Services, MO HealthNet Division
Title XIX Participation Agreement with the provider relating
to health care services. The standard agreement is accessible
online and incorporated by reference and made a part of this
rule as published by the Department of Social Services, MO
HealthNet Division, 615 Howerton Court, Jefferson City, MO
65109, at its website www.dss.mo.gov/mhd, November 29, 2022.
This rule does not incorporate any subsequent amendments or
additions;
3. Rebating or accepting a fee or portion of a fee or charge
for a MO HealthNet patient referral, or collecting a portion of
the service fee from the participant;
4. Failure to accept MO HealthNet payment as payment in
full for covered services or collecting additional payment from
a participant or responsible person;
5. Failure to reverse or credit back to MO HealthNet
within thirty (30) days any pharmacy claims submitted to the
agency that represent products or services not received by the
participant; for example, prescriptions that were returned to
stock because they were not picked up;
6. For providers of Consumer Directed Services (CDS),
failure to submit to MO Medicaid Audit and Compliance
(MMAC) a required CDS quarterly Financial and Services report,
annual service report, or an annual financial statement audit
or financial statement review;
7. Failure to utilize an Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)
system that complies with the requirements of 13 CSR 70-3.320
to document delivery of personal care services requiring EVV
usage;
8. Failure to submit to MMAC an annual attestation of
compliance with the provisions of Section 6032 of the federal
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 by March 1 of each year, or failing
to provide a requested copy of an attestation, or failing to
provide written notification of having more than one (1) federal
tax identification number by September 30 of each year, or
failing to provide requested proof of a claimed exemption from
the provisions of Section 6032 of the federal Deficit Reduction
Act of 2005. The attestation is incorporated by reference and
made a part of this rule as published by the Department of
Social Services, MMAC Unit, 205 Jefferson St, Jefferson City, MO
65101, November 29, 2022. This rule does not incorporate any
subsequent amendments or additions;
9. Failure to advise MMAC, in writing, on enrollment forms
specified by the single state agency, of any changes affecting
the provider’s enrollment records within ninety (90) days of the
change, with the exception of change of ownership or control
of any provider which must be reported within thirty (30) days;
10. Refusing to execute a new provider agreement when
requested to do so by MMAC in order to preserve the single
state agency’s compliance with federal and state requirements;
or failure to execute an agreement within thirty (30) days for
compliance purposes;
11. Billing and receiving reimbursement from the MO
HealthNet program more than once for the same service when
the duplicate billings were not caused by the single state
agency or its agents;
12. Billing the state MO HealthNet program for services not
provided prior to the date of billing (“prebilling”), except in the
case of prepaid health plans or pharmacy claims submitted
by point-of-service technology, whether or not the prebilling
causes loss or harm to the MO HealthNet program;
13. Submitting claims for services not personally rendered
by the individually enrolled provider, except for the provisions
specified in the MO HealthNet programs where such claims may
be submitted only if the individually enrolled provider directly
supervised the person who actually performed the service
and the person was employed by the enrolled provider at the
time the service was rendered. Such policies and procedures
are contained in provider manuals which are incorporated
by reference and made a part of this rule as published by
the Department of Social Services, MO HealthNet Division,
615 Howerton Court, Jefferson City, MO 65109, at its website
www.dss.mo.gov/mhd, November 29, 2022. This rule does not
incorporate any subsequent amendments or additions;
14. Failure to provide and maintain quality, necessary,
and appropriate services, including adequate staffing for MO
HealthNet participants, within accepted medical community
standards as adjudged by a body of peers, as set forth in both
federal and state statutes or regulations. The medical review
may be conducted by qualified peers employed by the single
state agency;
15. Breaching of the terms of the MO HealthNet provider
agreement or of any current written and published policies
and procedures of the MO HealthNet program as it pertains
to the specific provider type(s) or failing to comply with the
terms of the provider certification on the MO HealthNet claim
form. Such policies and procedures are contained in provider
manuals which are incorporated by reference and made a part
of this rule as published by the Department of Social Services,
MO HealthNet Division, 615 Howerton Court, Jefferson City, MO
65109, at its website www.dss.mo.gov/mhd, November 29, 2022.
This rule does not incorporate any subsequent amendments or
additions;
16. Failure to meet any of the documentation requirements
under this paragraph. All records must be kept a minimum
of six (6) years from the date of service unless a more
specific provider regulation applies. The minimum six- (6-)
year retention of records requirement continues to apply in the
event of a change of ownership or discontinuing enrollment
in MO HealthNet. Services billed to the MO HealthNet agency
that are not adequately documented in the patient’s medical
records or for which there is no record that services were
performed shall be considered a violation of this section.
Copies of records must be provided upon request or within ten
(10) business days from the request to the single state agency
or its authorized agents, regardless of the media in which they
are kept—
A. Failure to maintain documentation which is to be
made contemporaneously to the date of service; supplemental
documentation is allowable as long as the original
documentation is not altered after the documentation has
been made contemporaneously and all additional documents
are dated and the name of the person who edited the
document is included;
B. Failure to maintain records for services provided
and all billing done under provider number regardless to
whom the reimbursement is paid and regardless of whom in
their employment or service produced or submitted the MO
HealthNet claim or both;
C. Failure to make available, and disclosing to the MO
HealthNet agency or its authorized agents, all records relating
to services provided to MO HealthNet participants or records
relating to MO HealthNet payments, whether or not the records
are commingled with non-Title XIX (Medicaid) records;
D. Failure to make requested records available within
ten (10) business days from the request;
E. Failure to keep and make available adequate records
which adequately document the services and payments;
F. For providers other than long-term care facilities,
failure to retain in legible form for at least six (6) years from
the date of service, worksheets, financial records, appointment
books, appointment calendars (for those providers who schedule
patient/client appointments), adequate documentation of the
service, and other documents and records verifying data
transmitted to a billing intermediary, whether the intermediary
is owned by the provider or not; or
G. For long-term care providers, failing to retain in
legible form, for at least seven (7) years from the date of service,
worksheets, financial records, adequate documentation for the
service(s), and other documents and records verifying data
transmitted to a billing intermediary, whether the intermediary
is owned by the provider or not. The documentation must be
maintained so as to protect it from damage or loss by fire,
water, computer failure, theft, or any other cause;
17. Removing or coercing from the possession or control of
a participant any item of durable medical equipment which
has reached MO HealthNet-defined purchase price through MO
HealthNet rental payments or otherwise become the property
of the participant without paying fair market value to the
participant;
18. Failure to timely submit civil rights compliance data
or information or failure to timely take corrective action for
civil rights compliance deficiencies within thirty (30) days
after notification of these deficiencies or failure to cooperate
or supply information required or requested by civil rights
compliance officers of the single state agency;
19. Billing the MO HealthNet program for services rendered
to a participant in a long-term care facility when the resident
resided in a portion of the facility which was not MO HealthNetcertified or properly licensed or was placed in a non-licensed or
MO HealthNet non-certified bed;
20. Failure to submit proper diagnosis codes, procedure
codes, billing codes regardless to whom the reimbursement
is paid and regardless of who in their employment or service
produced or submitted the MO HealthNet claim;
21. Failure to submit and document, as defined in
subsection (2)(A), the length of time (begin and end clock
time) actually spent providing a service, except for services as
specified under 13 CSR 70-91.010(4)(A) Personal Care Program,
regardless to whom the reimbursement is paid and regardless
of who in their employment or service produced or submitted
the MO HealthNet claim or both;
22. Billing for the same service as another provider when
the service is performed or attended by more than one (1)
enrolled provider. MO HealthNet will reimburse only one (1)
provider for the exact same service;
23. Failure to repay or make arrangements for the
repayment of identified overpayments or otherwise improper
payments prior to the allowed forty-five (45) days which the
provider has to refund the requested amount;
24. Presenting, or causing to be presented, for payment,
any false or fraudulent claim for services or merchandise in
the course of business related to MO HealthNet by an agent or
employee of the provider;
25. Submitting, or causing to be submitted, false
information for the purpose of meeting prior authorization
requirements or for the purpose of obtaining payments in
order to avoid the effect of those changes;
26. Submitting, or causing to be submitted, false
information for the purpose of obtaining greater compensation
than that to which the provider is entitled under applicable MO
HealthNet program policies or rules, including but not limited
to the billing or coding of services which results in payments
in excess of the fee schedule for the service actually provided
or billing or coding of services which results in payments in
excess of the provider’s charges to the general public for the
same services or billing for higher level of service or increased
number of units from those actually ordered or performed
or both, or altering or falsifying medical records to obtain or
verify a greater payment than authorized by a fee schedule or
reimbursement plan;
27. Engaging in conduct or performing an act deemed
improper or abusive of the MO HealthNet program or failing
to correct deficiencies in provider operations within ten (10)
days or a date specified after receiving written notice of these
deficiencies from the single state agency or within the time
frame provided from any other agency having licensing or
certification authority. This will include inappropriate or
improper actions relating to the management of participants’
personal funds or other funds;
28. Billing violations as follows:
A. Billing for services through an agent, which were
upgraded from those actually ordered and performed;
B. Billing or coding services, either directly or through
an agent, in a manner that services are paid for as separate
procedures when, in fact, the services were performed
concurrently or sequentially and should have been billed or
coded as integral components of a total service as prescribed in
MO HealthNet policy for payment in a total payment less than
the aggregate of the improperly separated services;
C. Billing a higher level of service than is documented in
the patient/client record; or
D. Unbundling procedure codes;
29. Utilizing or abusing the MO HealthNet program as
evidenced by a documented pattern of inducing, furnishing,
or otherwise causing a participant to receive services or
merchandise not otherwise required or requested by the
participant, attending physician, or appropriate utilization
review team; or as evidenced by a documented pattern of
performing and billing tests, examinations, patient visits,
surgeries, drugs, or merchandise that exceed limits or
frequencies determined by the department for like practitioners
for which there is no medical necessity, or for which the
provider has created the need through ineffective services or
merchandise previously rendered;
30. Failure to take reasonable measures to review claims
for payment for accuracy, duplication, or other errors caused
or committed by employees when the failure allows material
errors in billing to occur. This includes failure to review
remittance advice statements provided which results in
payments which do not correspond with the actual services
rendered;
31. Submitting a false or fraudulent application for provider
status which misrepresents material facts. This shall include
concealment or misrepresentation of material facts required
on any provider agreements or questionnaires submitted by
affiliates when the provider knew, or should have known, the
contents of the submitted documents;
32. Violating any laws, regulations, or code of ethics
governing the conduct of occupations or professions or
regulated industries that pertain to said provider. In addition
to all other laws which would commonly be understood to
govern or regulate the conduct of occupations, professions, or
regulated industries, this provision shall include any violations
of the civil or criminal laws of the United States, of Missouri, or
any other state or territory, where the violation is reasonably
related to the provider’s qualifications, functions, or duties in
any licensed or regulated profession or where an element of
the violation is fraud, dishonesty, moral turpitude, or an act of
violence;
33. Being formally reprimanded or censured by a board of
licensure or an association of the provider’s peers for unethical,
unlawful, or unprofessional conduct; or any termination,
removal, suspension, revocation, denial, probation, consented
surrender, or other disqualification of all or part of any license,
permit, certificate, or registration related to the provider’s
business or profession in Missouri or any other state or territory
of the United States;
34. Conducting any action resulting in a reduction or
depletion of a long-term care facility MO HealthNet participant’s
personal funds or reserve account, unless specifically authorized
in writing by the participant, relative, or responsible person;
35. Making any payment to any person in return for
referring an individual to the provider for the delivery of any
goods or services for which payment may be made in whole
or in part under MO HealthNet. Soliciting or receiving any
payment from any person in return for referring an individual
to another supplier of goods or services regardless of whether
the supplier is a MO HealthNet provider for the delivery of any
goods or services for which payment may be made in whole
or in part under MO HealthNet is also prohibited. “Payment”
includes, without limitation, any kickback, bribe, or rebate
made, either directly or indirectly, in cash or in-kind;
36. Using fraudulent billing practices arising from billings
to third parties for costs of services or merchandise or for gross
negligent practice resulting in death or injury or substandard
care to persons including but not limited to the provider’s
patients;
37. Having an adverse action administered against the
provider by another state Medicaid program;
38. An administrative or judicial finding of civil or criminal
fraud against the MO HealthNet program or any other state
Medicaid program, or any criminal fraud related to the
conduct of the provider’s profession or business;
39. Being excluded, suspended, or terminated from
participation, or having payments suspended by the Medicare
program or any other federal health care program. Voluntarily
terminating from the Medicare program or other federal
health care program is not a violation.
(4) Any one (1) or more of the following administrative actions
may be invoked against providers for any one (1) or more of the
program violations specified in section (3) of this rule:
(A) Failure to respond to notice of overpayments or notice of
deficiencies in provider operations within the specified forty-five-
(45-) day time limit shall be considered cause to withhold future
provider payments until the situation in question is resolved;
(B) Termination from participation in the MO HealthNet
program for a period of not less than sixty (60) days nor more
than ten (10) years;
(C) Suspension of participation in the MO HealthNet program
for a specified period of time;
(D) Suspension or withholding of payments to a provider;
(E) Referral to peer review committees including PSROs or
utilization review committees;
(F) Recoupment from future provider payments;
(G) Transfer to a closed-end provider agreement not to exceed
twelve (12) months or the shortening of an already existing
closed-end provider agreement;
(H) Attendance at provider education sessions;
(I) Prior authorization of services;
(J) Review of some or all of the provider’s claims prior to
payment;
(K) Referral to the state licensing board for investigation;
(L) Referral to appropriate federal or state legal agency for
investigation, prosecution, or both, under applicable federal
and state laws;
(M) Retroactive denial of payments; and
(N) Denial of payment for any new admission to a skilled
nursing facility (SNF), intermediate care facility (ICF), or ICF/
individuals with intellectual disabilities (IID) that no longer
meets the applicable conditions of participation (for SNFs) or
standards (for ICFs and ICF/IIDs) if the facility’s deficiencies do
not pose immediate jeopardy to patients’ health and safety.
Imposition of this administrative action must be in accordance
with all applicable federal statutes and regulations.
(5) Imposition of an Administrative Action.
(A) The decision as to the administrative action to be
imposed shall be at the discretion of MMAC. The following
factors shall be considered in determining the administrative
action(s) to be imposed:
1. Seriousness of the offense(s)—The state agency shall
consider the seriousness of the offense(s) including but not
limited to whether or not an overpayment (that is, financial
harm) occurred to the program, whether substandard services
were rendered to MO HealthNet participants, or circumstances
were such that the provider’s behavior could have caused or
contributed to inadequate or dangerous medical care for any
patient(s), or a combination of these. Violation of pharmacy
laws or rules, practices potentially dangerous to patients, and
fraud are to be considered particularly serious;
2. Extent of violations—The state MO HealthNet agency
shall consider the extent of the violations as measured by but
not limited to the number of patients involved, the number
of MO HealthNet claims involved, the number of dollars
identified in any overpayment, and the length of time over
which the violations occurred. The MO HealthNet agency may
calculate an overpayment or impose administrative actions
under this rule by reviewing records pertaining to all or part of
a provider’s MO HealthNet claims. When records are examined
pertaining to part of a provider’s MO HealthNet claims, no
random selection process in choosing the claims for review
as set forth in 13 CSR 70-3.130 need be utilized by the MO
HealthNet agency. But, if the random selection process is not
used, the MO HealthNet agency may not construe violations
found in the partial review to be an indication that the extent
of the violations in any unreviewed claims would exist to the
same or greater extent;
3. History of prior violations—The state agency shall
consider whether or not the provider has been given notice
of prior violations of this rule or other program policies. If
the provider has received notice and has failed to correct
the deficiencies or has resumed the deficient performance,
a history shall be given substantial weight supporting the
agency’s decision to invoke administrative actions. If the
history includes a prior imposition of administrative action(s),
the agency should not apply a lesser action in the second case,
even if the subsequent violations are of a different nature;
4. Prior imposition of administrative actions—The MO
HealthNet agency shall consider more severe administrative
action in cases where a provider has been subject to actions by
the MO HealthNet program, any other governmental medical
program, Medicare, or exclusion by any private medical
insurance carriers for misconduct in billing or professional
practice. Restricted or limited participation in compromise after
being notified or a more severe action should be considered as
a prior imposition of actions for the purpose of this subsection;
5. Prior provision of provider education—In cases where
administrative actions are being considered for billing
deficiencies only, the MO HealthNet agency may mitigate its
action if it determines that prior provider education was not
provided. In cases where actions are being considered for
billing deficiencies only and prior provider education has been
given, prior provider education followed by a repetition of the
same billing deficiencies shall weigh heavily in support of the
medical agency’s decision to invoke severe actions; and
6. Actions taken or recommended by peer review groups,
licensing boards, or Professional Review Organizations (PRO) or
utilization review committees—Actions or recommendations
by a provider’s peers shall be considered as serious if they
involve a determination that the provider has kept or allowed to
be kept, substandard medical records, negligently or carelessly
performed treatment or services, or, in the case of licensing
boards, placed the provider under restrictions or on probation.
(B) Where a provider has been convicted of defrauding any
Medicaid program, has had previous actions invoked due
to program abuse, has been terminated from the Medicare
program, the MO HealthNet agency shall terminate the
provider from participation in the MO HealthNet program.
(C) When an administrative action involving the collection,
recoupment, or withholding of MO HealthNet payments from
a provider is imposed on a provider, it shall become effective
ten (10) days from the date of mailing or delivery of said notice,
whichever occurs first. When any other action is imposed on a
provider it shall become effective thirty (30) days from the date
of mailing or delivery of a decision of the Department of Social
Services or its designated division, whichever occurs first. If, in
the judgment of the single state agency, the surrounding facts
and circumstances clearly show that serious abuse or harm
may result from delaying the imposition of an administrative
action, any action may be made effective three (3) days after
mailing of the notice to the provider or immediately upon
receipt of notice by the provider, whichever occurs first.
(D) An administrative action may be applied to all known
affiliates of a provider, provided that each decision to include
an affiliate is made on a case-by-case basis after giving due
regard to all relevant facts and circumstances. The violation,
failure, or inadequacy of performance may be imputed to an
affiliate when the affiliate knew or should have known of the
provider’s actions.
(E) Suspension or termination of any provider shall preclude
the provider from participation in the MO HealthNet program,
either personally or through claims submitted by any clinic,
group, corporation, or other association to the single state
agency or its fiscal agents for any services or supplies provided
under the MO HealthNet program except for those services or
supplies provided prior to the suspension or termination.
(F) No clinic, group, corporation, or other association which
is a provider of services shall submit claims for payment to
the single state agency or its fiscal agents for any services or
supplies provided by, or under the supervision of, a person
within the organization who has been suspended or terminated
from participation in the MO HealthNet program except for
those services or supplies provided prior to the suspension or
termination.
(G) When the provisions of the previously mentioned are
violated by a provider of services that is a clinic, group,
corporation, or other association, the single state agency may
suspend or terminate the organization, the individual person,
or both, within the organization who knew or should have
known of the violation.
(H) When a provider has an administrative action imposed,
the single state agency shall notify, as appropriate, the
applicable professional society, board of registration or
licensure, federal and state agencies of the finding made and
the action(s) imposed.
(I) Where a provider’s participation in the MO HealthNet
program has been suspended or terminated, the single state
agency shall notify the county offices of the suspensions or
terminations.
(J) Except where termination has been imposed, a provider
who has an administrative action imposed may be required
to participate in a provider education program as a condition
of continued participation. Provider education programs may
include:
1. Telephone and written instructions;
2. Provider manuals and workshops;
3. Instruction in claim form completion;
4. Instruction on the use and format of provider manuals;
5. Instruction on the use of procedure codes;
6. Key provisions of the MO HealthNet program;
7. Instruction on reimbursement rates; and
8. Instruction on how to inquire about coding or billing
problems.
(K) Providers that have been suspended from the MO
HealthNet program under subsections (4)(B) and (C) may be
re-enrolled in the MO HealthNet program upon expiration
of the period of suspension from the program after making
satisfactory assurances of future compliance. Providers that
have been terminated from the MO HealthNet program under
subsection (4)(B) may be re-enrolled in the program at the sole
discretion of the single state agency and only after providing
satisfactory evidence that the past cause for termination has
ceased and that future participation is warranted.
(6) Amounts Due the Department of Social Services from a
Provider.
(A) If there exists an amount due the Department of Social
Services from a provider, the single state agency shall notify
the provider or the provider’s representative of the amount of
the overpayment. The notice shall be mailed or delivered to
the address on the provider’s enrollment record. If the amount
due is not sooner paid to the Department of Social Services
by or on behalf of the provider, the single state agency may
take appropriate action to collect the overpayment forty-five
(45) days from the date of mailing or delivery of said notice,
whichever occurs first. The single state agency may recover
the overpayment by withholding from current MO HealthNet
reimbursement. The withholding may be taken from one (1)
or more payments until the funds withheld in the aggregate
equal the amount due as stated in the notice.
(B) When a provider receives notice of an overpayment and
the amount due is in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000),
the provider, within fourteen (14) days of the notice being
mailed or delivered to the provider, whichever occurs first, may
submit to the single state agency a plan for repayment of forty
percent (40%) of the overpayment amount and request that the
plan be adopted and adhered to by the single state agency
in collecting the overpayment. No repayment plans will be
considered for the first sixty percent (60%) of the overpayment
amount. If this repayment plan is timely received from a
provider, the single state agency shall consider the proposal,
together with all the facts and circumstances of the case and
reject, accept, or offer to accept a modified version of the
provider’s plan for repayment. The single state agency shall
notify the provider of its decision within ten (10) days after the
proposal is received. If no plan for repayment is agreed upon
within thirty (30) days from the date of mailing or delivery of
a decision of the notice of the overpayment to the provider,
whichever occurs first, the MO HealthNet agency may take
appropriate action to collect the balance of the amount due.
(C) If a plan agreed to and implemented under provisions of
subsection (6)(B) for repayment of amounts due the Department
of Social Services from a provider is breached, discontinued,
or otherwise violated by a provider, the single state agency,
immediately upon the next payment to the provider, may
begin to withhold payments or portions of payments until the
entire amount due has been collected.
(D) Repayment or an agreement to repay amounts due the
Department of Social Services by a provider shall not prevent
the imposition of any administrative action by the single state
agency upon the provider.
(E) The single state agency may collect provider overpayments
from any other enrolled provider when the other enrolled
provider has received payment on behalf of the provider who
incurred the overpayment (such as when a provider has directed
payment to another enrolled provider). The single state agency
may also collect provider overpayments from any enrolled
provider with the same federal employer identification number
(EIN) as the provider who incurred the overpayment. The state
agency shall notify the other enrolled provider(s) forty-five (45)
days prior to initiating the overpayment action. The notice
shall be mailed to the address on the provider’s(s’) enrollment
record. If the amount due is in excess of one thousand dollars
($1,000), the other enrolled provider, within fourteen (14) days
of mailing of the notice, may submit to the single state agency
a plan for repayment of forty percent (40%) of the overpayment
amount and request that the plan be adopted and adhered to
by the single state agency in collecting the overpayment. No
repayment plan will be considered for the first sixty percent
(60%) of the overpayment amount. If this repayment plan is
timely received from the other enrolled provider, the single
state agency shall consider the proposal, together with all the
facts and circumstances of the case and reject, accept, or offer to
accept a modified version of the other enrolled provider’s plan
for repayment. The single state agency shall notify the other
enrolled provider of its decision within ten (10) days after the
proposal is received. If no plan for repayment is agreed upon
within thirty (30) days after the other enrolled provider receives
notice of the overpayment, the Medicaid agency may take
appropriate action to collect the balance of the amount due.
AUTHORITY: sections 208.153, 208.201, and 660.017, RSMo 2016.*
This rule was previously filed as 13 CSR 40-81.160. Original rule
filed Sept. 22, 1979, effective Feb. 11, 1980. Amended: Filed Nov. 25,
1981, effective March 11, 1982. Emergency amendment filed April 14,
1982, effective April 24, 1982, expired July 10, 1982. Amended: Filed
April 14, 1982, effective July 11, 1982. Amended: Filed April 16, 1985,
effective Sept. 1, 1985. Emergency amendment filed Dec. 5, 1986,
effective Dec. 15, 1986, expired April 13, 1987. Amended: Filed Dec.
16, 1986, effective April 11, 1987. Amended: Filed Jan. 7, 1987, effective
April 26, 1987. Emergency amendment filed April 15, 1988, effective
April 25, 1988, expired Aug. 22, 1988. Amended: Filed June 2, 1988,
effective Aug. 25, 1988. Amended: Filed Aug. 2, 1990, effective Feb.
14, 1991. Emergency amendment filed Dec. 17, 1993, effective Jan.
1, 1994, expired April 30, 1994. Emergency amendment filed April
15, 1994, effective April 30, 1994, expired Aug. 13, 1994. Amended:
Filed Feb. 16, 1994, effective Aug. 28, 1994. Amended: Filed May 16,
2005, effective Nov. 30, 2005. Amended: Filed July 3, 2006, effective
Dec. 30, 2006. Amended: Filed Nov. 15, 2006, effective May 30, 2007.
Amended: Filed March 30, 2007, effective Sept. 30, 2007. Amended:
Filed Aug. 31, 2007, effective March 30, 2008. Amended: Filed Aug.
17, 2009, effective Feb. 28, 2010. Amended: Filed Sept. 16, 2013,
effective April 30, 2014. Amended: Filed Aug. 15, 2014, effective
Feb. 28, 2015. Amended: Filed Oct. 15, 2015, effective April 30, 2016.
Amended: Filed Oct. 3, 2016, effective May 30, 2017. Amended: Filed
Sept. 22, 2017, effective May 30, 2018. Amended: Filed July 20, 2022,
effective March 30, 2023.
*Original authority: 208.153, RSMo 1967, amended 1967, 1973, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2007,
2012; 208.201, RSMo 1987, amended 2007; and 660.017, RSMo 1993, amended 1995.