HOUSE BILL No. 4195

 

February 5, 2009, Introduced by Rep. Slavens and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.

 

      A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled

 

"Public health code,"

 

by amending sections 16221 and 16226 (MCL 333.16221 and

 

333.16226), as amended by 2004 PA 214.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

 1        Sec. 16221. The department may investigate activities

 

 2  related to the practice of a health profession by a licensee, a

 

 3  registrant, or an applicant for licensure or registration. The

 

 4  department may hold hearings, administer oaths, and order

 

 5  relevant testimony to be taken and shall report its findings to

 

 6  the appropriate disciplinary subcommittee. The disciplinary

 

 7  subcommittee shall proceed under section 16226 if it finds that 1

 

 8  or more of the following grounds exist:


 

 1        (a) A violation of general duty, consisting of negligence or

 

 2  failure to exercise due care, including negligent delegation to

 

 3  or supervision of employees or other individuals, whether or not

 

 4  injury results, or any conduct, practice, or condition that

 

 5  impairs, or may impair, the ability to safely and skillfully

 

 6  practice the health profession.

 

 7        (b) Personal disqualifications, consisting of 1 or more of

 

 8  the following:

 

 9        (i) Incompetence.

 

10        (ii) Subject to sections 16165 to 16170a, substance abuse as

 

11  defined in section 6107.

 

12        (iii) Mental or physical inability reasonably related to and

 

13  adversely affecting the licensee's ability to practice in a safe

 

14  and competent manner.

 

15        (iv) Declaration of mental incompetence by a court of

 

16  competent jurisdiction.

 

17        (v) Conviction of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment

 

18  for a maximum term of 2 years; a misdemeanor involving the

 

19  illegal delivery, possession, or use of a controlled substance;

 

20  or a felony. A certified copy of the court record is conclusive

 

21  evidence of the conviction.

 

22        (vi) Lack of good moral character.

 

23        (vii) Conviction of a criminal offense under sections 520b to

 

24  520g section 520e of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL

 

25  750.520b to 750.520g 750.520e. A certified copy of the court

 

26  record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

 

27        (viii) Conviction of a violation of section 492a of the


 

 1  Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.492a. A certified copy

 

 2  of the court record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

 

 3        (ix) Conviction of a misdemeanor or felony involving fraud in

 

 4  obtaining or attempting to obtain fees related to the practice of

 

 5  a health profession. A certified copy of the court record is

 

 6  conclusive evidence of the conviction.

 

 7        (x) Final adverse administrative action by a licensure,

 

 8  registration, disciplinary, or certification board involving the

 

 9  holder of, or an applicant for, a license or registration

 

10  regulated by another state or a territory of the United States,

 

11  by the United States military, by the federal government, or by

 

12  another country. A certified copy of the record of the board is

 

13  conclusive evidence of the final action.

 

14        (xi) Conviction of a misdemeanor that is reasonably related

 

15  to or that adversely affects the licensee's ability to practice

 

16  in a safe and competent manner. A certified copy of the court

 

17  record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

 

18        (xii) Conviction of a violation of section 430 of the

 

19  Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.430. A certified copy

 

20  of the court record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

 

21        (xiii) Conviction of a criminal offense under section 520b,

 

22  520c, 520d, 520f, or 520g of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA

 

23  328, MCL 750.520b, 750.520c, 750.520d, 750.520f, and 750.520g. A

 

24  certified copy of the court record is conclusive evidence of the

 

25  conviction.

 

26        (c) Prohibited acts, consisting of 1 or more of the

 

27  following:


 

 1        (i) Fraud or deceit in obtaining or renewing a license or

 

 2  registration.

 

 3        (ii) Permitting the license or registration to be used by an

 

 4  unauthorized person.

 

 5        (iii) Practice outside the scope of a license.

 

 6        (iv) Obtaining, possessing, or attempting to obtain or

 

 7  possess a controlled substance as defined in section 7104 or a

 

 8  drug as defined in section 7105 without lawful authority; or

 

 9  selling, prescribing, giving away, or administering drugs for

 

10  other than lawful diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

 

11        (d) Unethical business practices, consisting of 1 or more of

 

12  the following:

 

13        (i) False or misleading advertising.

 

14        (ii) Dividing fees for referral of patients or accepting

 

15  kickbacks on medical or surgical services, appliances, or

 

16  medications purchased by or in behalf of patients.

 

17        (iii) Fraud or deceit in obtaining or attempting to obtain

 

18  third party reimbursement.

 

19        (e) Unprofessional conduct, consisting of 1 or more of the

 

20  following:

 

21        (i) Misrepresentation to a consumer or patient or in

 

22  obtaining or attempting to obtain third party reimbursement in

 

23  the course of professional practice.

 

24        (ii) Betrayal of a professional confidence.

 

25        (iii) Promotion for personal gain of an unnecessary drug,

 

26  device, treatment, procedure, or service.

 

27        (iv) Either of the following:


 

 1        (A) A requirement by a licensee other than a physician that

 

 2  an individual purchase or secure a drug, device, treatment,

 

 3  procedure, or service from another person, place, facility, or

 

 4  business in which the licensee has a financial interest.

 

 5        (B) A referral by a physician for a designated health

 

 6  service that violates section 1877 of part D of title XVIII of

 

 7  the social security act, 42 USC 1395nn , or a regulation

 

 8  promulgated under that section. Section 1877 of part D of title

 

 9  XVIII of the social security act, For purposes of this

 

10  subparagraph, 42 USC 1395nn , and the regulations promulgated

 

11  under that section , as they exist on June 3, 2002 , are

 

12  incorporated by reference. for purposes of this subparagraph. A

 

13  disciplinary subcommittee shall apply section 1877 of part D of

 

14  title XVIII of the social security act, 42 USC 1395nn , and the

 

15  regulations promulgated under that section regardless of the

 

16  source of payment for the designated health service referred and

 

17  rendered. If section 1877 of part D of title XVIII of the social

 

18  security act, 42 USC 1395nn , or a regulation promulgated under

 

19  that section is revised after June 3, 2002, the department shall

 

20  officially take notice of the revision. Within 30 days after

 

21  taking notice of the revision, the department shall decide

 

22  whether or not the revision pertains to referral by physicians

 

23  for designated health services and continues to protect the

 

24  public from inappropriate referrals by physicians. If the

 

25  department decides that the revision does both of those things,

 

26  the department may promulgate rules to incorporate the revision

 

27  by reference. If the department does promulgate rules to


 

 1  incorporate the revision by reference, the department shall not

 

 2  make any changes to the revision. As used in this subparagraph,

 

 3  "designated health service" means that term as defined in section

 

 4  1877 of part D of title XVIII of the social security act, 42 USC

 

 5  1395nn , and the regulations promulgated under that section and

 

 6  "physician" means that term as defined in sections 17001 and

 

 7  17501.

 

 8        (v) For a physician who makes referrals pursuant to section

 

 9  1877 of part D of title XVIII of the social security act, 42 USC

 

10  1395nn , or a regulation promulgated under that section, refusing

 

11  to accept a reasonable proportion of patients eligible for

 

12  medicaid and refusing to accept payment from medicaid or medicare

 

13  as payment in full for a treatment, procedure, or service for

 

14  which the physician refers the individual and in which the

 

15  physician has a financial interest. A physician who owns all or

 

16  part of a facility in which he or she provides surgical services

 

17  is not subject to this subparagraph if a referred surgical

 

18  procedure he or she performs in the facility is not reimbursed at

 

19  a minimum of the appropriate medicaid or medicare outpatient fee

 

20  schedule, including the combined technical and professional

 

21  components.

 

22        (f) Beginning June 3, 2003, the department of consumer and

 

23  industry services shall prepare the first of 3 annual reports on

 

24  the effect of this amendatory act on access to care for the

 

25  uninsured and medicaid patients. The department shall report on

 

26  the number of referrals by licensees of uninsured and medicaid

 

27  patients to purchase or secure a drug, device, treatment,


 

 1  procedure, or service from another person, place, facility, or

 

 2  business in which the licensee has a financial interest.

 

 3        (f) (g) Failure to report a change of name or mailing

 

 4  address within 30 days after the change occurs.

 

 5        (g) (h) A violation, or aiding or abetting in a violation,

 

 6  of this article or of a rule promulgated under this article.

 

 7        (h) (i) Failure to comply with a subpoena issued pursuant to

 

 8  this part, failure to respond to a complaint issued under this

 

 9  article or article 7, failure to appear at a compliance

 

10  conference or an administrative hearing, or failure to report

 

11  under section 16222 or 16223.

 

12        (i) (j) Failure to pay an installment of an assessment

 

13  levied pursuant to the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL

 

14  500.100 to 500.8302, within 60 days after notice by the

 

15  appropriate board.

 

16        (j) (k) A violation of section 17013 or 17513.

 

17        (k) (l) Failure to meet 1 or more of the requirements for

 

18  licensure or registration under section 16174.

 

19        (l) (m) A violation of section 17015 or 17515.

 

20        (m) (n) A violation of section 17016 or 17516.

 

21        (n) (o) Failure to comply with section 9206(3).

 

22        (o) (p) A violation of section 5654 or 5655.

 

23        (p) (q) A violation of section 16274.

 

24        (q) (r) A violation of section 17020 or 17520.

 

25        (r) (s) A violation of the medical records access act, 2004

 

26  PA 47, MCL 333.26261 to 333.26271.

 

27        (s) (t) A violation of section 17764(2).


 

 1        Sec. 16226. (1) After finding the existence of 1 or more of

 

 2  the grounds for disciplinary subcommittee action listed in

 

 3  section 16221, a disciplinary subcommittee shall impose 1 or more

 

 4  of the following sanctions for each violation:

 

 

  Violations of Section 16221 Sanctions

Subdivision (a), (b)(ii),        Probation, limitation, denial,

(b)(iv), (b)(vi), or              suspension, revocation,

(b)(vii)                          restitution, community service,

                                or fine.

10 Subdivision                     Revocation or denial.

11 (b)(viii) or (b)(xiii)                  

12 Subdivision (b)(i),              Limitation, suspension,

13 (b)(iii), (b)(v),                 revocation, denial,

14 (b)(ix), (b)(x),                 probation, restitution,

15 (b)(xi), or (b)(xii)              community service, or fine.

16 Subdivision (c)(i)               Denial, revocation, suspension,

17                                 probation, limitation, community

18                                 service, or fine.

19 Subdivision (c)(ii)              Denial, suspension, revocation,

20                                 restitution, community service,

21                                 or fine.

22 Subdivision (c)(iii)              Probation, denial, suspension,

23                                 revocation, restitution,

24                                 community service, or fine.

25 Subdivision (c)(iv)              Fine, probation, denial,

26 or (d)(iii)                       suspension, revocation, community

27                                 service, or restitution.

28 Subdivision (d)(i)               Reprimand, fine, probation,

29 or (d)(ii)                       community service, denial,


                                or restitution.

Subdivision (e)(i)               Reprimand, fine, probation,

                                limitation, suspension, community

                                service, denial, or restitution.

Subdivision (e)(ii)              Reprimand, probation,

or (i) (h)                      suspension, restitution,

                                community service, denial, or

                                fine.

Subdivision (e)(iii),             Reprimand, fine, probation,

10 (e)(iv), or (e)(v)               suspension, revocation,

11                                 limitation, community service,

12                                 denial, or restitution.

13 Subdivision (g) (f)             Reprimand or fine.

14 Subdivision (h)  (g) or         Reprimand, probation, denial,

15 (s) (r)                         suspension, revocation,

16                                 limitation, restitution,

17                                 community service, or fine.

18 Subdivision (j) (i)             Suspension or fine.

19        Subdivision (k) (j),

(p) (o), or (r) (q)                Reprimand or fine.

20 Subdivision (l) (k)              Reprimand, denial, or

21                                 limitation.

22 Subdivision (m) (l) or           Denial, revocation, restitution,

23 (o) (n)                         probation, suspension,

24                                 limitation, reprimand, or fine.

25 Subdivision (n) (m)             Revocation or denial.

26 Subdivision (q) (p)             Revocation.

27 Subdivision (t) (s)             Revocation, fine, and

28                                 restitution.

 

 

29        (2) Determination of sanctions for violations under this

 

30  section shall be made by a disciplinary subcommittee. If, during


 

 1  judicial review, the court of appeals determines that a final

 

 2  decision or order of a disciplinary subcommittee prejudices

 

 3  substantial rights of the petitioner for 1 or more of the grounds

 

 4  listed in section 106 of the administrative procedures act of

 

 5  1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.306, and holds that the final decision

 

 6  or order is unlawful and is to be set aside, the court shall

 

 7  state on the record the reasons for the holding and may remand

 

 8  the case to the disciplinary subcommittee for further

 

 9  consideration.

 

10        (3) A disciplinary subcommittee may impose a fine of up to,

 

11  but not exceeding, $250,000.00 for a violation of section

 

12  16221(a) or (b).

 

13        (4) A disciplinary subcommittee may require a licensee or

 

14  registrant or an applicant for licensure or registration who has

 

15  violated this article or article 7 or a rule promulgated under

 

16  this article or article 7 to satisfactorily complete an

 

17  educational program, a training program, or a treatment program,

 

18  a mental, physical, or professional competence examination, or a

 

19  combination of those programs and examinations.