N.M. Admin. Code § 8.351.2.11

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 21, November 5, 2024

Section 8.351.2.11 - TYPES OF SANCTIONS

HSD is allowed to impose monetary or non-monetary sanctions against any provider or other entity for misconduct. HSD is required to impose certain sanctions against a provider or other entity for fraud, HIPAA violations, and other actions. Sanctions may be applied to any provider or other entity receiving payment for services either directly through MAD or through its managed care contractor, subcontractor, or other provider.

A.Prior approval: As a condition of payment, MAD or a HSD contracted MCO can require a provider to obtain prior approval before delivering all or certain services including prior to prescribing or ordering services. The prior approval request must be submitted to the HSD's contracted MCO or the MAD UR contractor in a manner prescribed for general utilization review. Failure to obtain prior approval prior to furnishing a service may result in imposition of sanctions. In addition, MAD may sanction a provider or other entity by requiring him or her to obtain prior approval before furnishing all or certain services, including prior to prescribing or ordering services, even if other providers may furnish that service without the requirement of obtaining prior approval; see 8.302.5 NMAC.

B.Education: As a condition of payment, MAD or a HSD contracted MCO can require a provider or other entity to attend an educational program if misconduct could be remedied with the provision of identified education. MAD or a HSD contracted MCO may also require a provider or other entity who is seeking reinstatement to attend a specific educational program prior to the approval of his or her new PPA application. Provider education programs may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) claim form completion;

(2) use and format of the MAD NMAC rules;

(3) use of procedure codes;

(4) substantive provisions of MAD's NMAC rule, policy, and requirement;

(5) reimbursement rates;

(6) assistance in claims coding and billing; and

(7) continuing medical or behavioral health education.

C.Closed-end agreements: MAD can transfer the provider to a closed-end PPA. A closed-end PPA is for a specified period of time which terminates on a defined date not to exceed 12 months. At the end of this term, a new PPA must be executed for continued MAD participation.

D.Suspension: "Suspension" is an exclusion from participation in MAD or a HSD contracted MCO for a specified period of time.

(1) MAD suspension: MAD may suspend a provider from MAD or a HSD contracted MCO participation for misconduct or fraud.

(a) HSD is permitted to suspend a provider for up to 36 months. The period of suspension is not less than the term of any court-imposed suspension.

(b) If the suspension is imposed by MAD, the effective date of the suspension is the date on the notice of suspension. If the suspension is concurrent with a court-imposed suspension, the effective date is the date of the court-imposed suspension.

(c) MAD is permitted to suspend a provider when the provider's license is terminated, suspended, or moved to an inactive status whether the action is voluntary on the part of the provider or is an action of his or her practice or licensing board. When a provider is reinstated by his or her practice or licensing board, the provider may reapply to MAD. Approval of the provider's PPA will be based on the history, nature, and financial magnitude of the provider's prior misconduct and not solely on the basis of reinstatement of the provider's license.

(2) Medicare suspension: MAD must suspend a provider or other entity that is suspended by medicare or any other federal or state-funded health program. When a MAD suspension is concurrent with a medicare suspension, the effective date of the MAD suspension is the same date of the medicare suspension.

(3) Special exception for health manpower shortage areas: After assessing the nature of the violation or misconduct, MAD has the option of requesting action from the secretary of the federal department of health and human services (DHHS) if the suspension of a provider would result in the lack of adequate medical or behavioral health services for MAP eligible recipients in a given area. The secretary of DHHS can be asked to:

(a) designate the community as a health manpower shortage area and place national health services corps personnel in the community; or

(b) waive the provider's suspension based upon submission of adequate documentation that the suspension would deprive the provider's community of needed medical or behavioral health services because of a shortage of practitioners in the area.

(4) Submission of claims following suspension:

(a) If a provider is suspended from MAD or a HSD contracted MCO participation, the provider is prohibited from submitting claims for payment to MAD, its MAD claims processing contractor, or to a HSD contracted MCO.

(b) MAD or a HSD contracted MCO will not pay claims submitted by clinics, groups, corporations, associations or other entities associated with a provider who is suspended from MAD participation for services furnished by such provider after the effective date of the suspension.

(c) Claims for services, treatment or supplies furnished by the provider before the effective date of the suspension can be submitted. The claims may be subject to pre-payment review.

(5) Reinstatement: A provider can apply for reinstatement at the end of a suspension period. Reinstatement is not automatic or guaranteed. A provider must furnish written documentation that he or she meets all relevant licensing, certification, or registration requirements as specified by MAD, HSD's behavioral health services division (BHSD), the children, youth and families department (CYFD), or the department of health (DOH).

E.Termination: Termination is the ending of the provider's MAD PPA for a specified period of time. MAD must terminate the provider's PPA in certain specified instances and is permitted to terminate the PPA in other instances.

(1) Mandatory termination: MAD must terminate the PPA when any of the following events occur:

(a) provider is convicted of MAP or medicare fraud;

(b) provider has a previous suspension from MAD with failure to correct identified deficiencies; or

(c) provider is terminated from participation in the medicare program or another federal or state-funded health program.

(2) Discretionary termination: MAD may terminate the provider's PPA when the violation is so egregious, in the discretionary opinion of MAD, that other sanctions are not sufficient to address, reduce or eliminate the violation or when the identified deficiency or violation reflects a pattern of violation.

(3) Effective date of termination: The effective date of the MAD PPA termination is the date of a MAD or a medicare fraud conviction or the date of the provider's medicare termination. If termination follows a prior suspension from MAD or the termination is discretionary, the date of termination is set by MAD.

(4) Termination of a nursing facility (NF) or intermediate care facility's PPA:

(a) MAD or a HSD contracted MCO can terminate a NF or an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF-IID) PPA instead of or in addition to other alternative remedies. Termination can occur in the instances which include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) immediate jeopardy to a NF or ICF-IID MAP eligible recipient resident's health and safety which have not been removed;

(ii) the provider is not in substantial compliance with participation requirements regardless of whether immediate jeopardy to a NF or ICF-IID MAP eligible recipient resident is present;

(iii) the provider fails to submit an acceptable plan of correction within the specified timeframes;

(iv) provider fails to relinquish control to temporary manager; or

(v) DOH recommends termination as the most appropriate remedy.

(b) Termination of the provider's PPA ends payment to the NF or ICF-IID provider.

(c) Notwithstanding other sections of this rule, payment to the NF or ICF-IID provider can be continued for up to 30 calendar days after the effective date of his or her PPA termination if the following conditions are met:

(i) the payment is for a NF or ICF-IID MAP eligible recipient resident admitted to the NF or ICF-IID before the effective date of the provider's PPA termination; and

(ii) MAD or a HSD contracted MCO is making reasonable efforts to transfer a MAP eligible recipient resident to another MAD enrolled facility or to alternate care;

(iii) for purposes of this provision, the 30 calendar day period begins on the effective date of the provider's PPA termination by the centers for medicare and medicaid services (CMS), MAD, or by the NF or ICF-IID provider.

(d) Before termination of a provider's NF or ICF-IID PPA, MAD or a HSD contracted MCO must notify the provider and the public at least 15 calendar days before the effective date of the termination with non-immediate jeopardy deficiencies that constitute the noncompliance. For termination due to deficiencies that pose immediate jeopardy to a MAP eligible recipient resident, MAD or a HSD contracted MCO must notify the provider and the public at least two working days before the effective date of the termination.

(e) If the termination of the provider's PPA is selected due to immediate jeopardy to a NF or ICF-IID MAP eligible recipient resident, the effective date of the termination is within 23 calendar days of the last date of its DOH survey.

(5) Submission of claims following termination:

(a) If a provider is terminated from MAD participation, the provider is prohibited from submitting claims for payment to a HSD contracted MCO or to the MAD claims processing contractor.

(b) MAD or an HSD contracted MCO will not pay claims submitted by clinics, groups, corporations, associations, or other entities associated with a provider who is terminated from MAD participation for services furnished by such provider after the effective date of the termination.

(c) Claims for services, treatment or supplies furnished by the provider before the effective date of the termination can be submitted. The claims may be subject to pre-payment review.

(6) Re-application for MAD participation: A provider or other entity must submit a new PPA application after the end of the termination period to MAD, before requesting enrollment in one of HSD's contracted MCOs. A provider must meet certification and licensing requirements specified by MAD, CYFD or DOH to be eligible to once again become a provider.

F.Civil monetary penalties: MAD is permitted to impose civil monetary penalties in addition to other penalties, and in accordance with the federal and state laws, regulations and rules.

(1) Amount of penalty: the provider or other entity is liable for the following:

(a) payment of interest on the amount received by the provider or other entity from MAD or a HSD contracted MCO in excess of payment at the maximum legal rate in effect on the date the payment was made, for the period from the date payment was made to the date of repayment to HSD;

(b) a civil monetary penalty in an amount of up to the maximum allowable under federal or state law, regulations or rules;

(c) a civil monetary penalty of $500 for each false or fraudulent claim submitted for furnishing treatment, services, or goods; and

(d) payment of legal fees and costs of investigation and enforcement of civil remedies.

(2) Payment of penalty amounts: Penalties and interest amounts must be remitted to the state of New Mexico (the state). Any legal fees, costs of investigation and costs of enforcement of civil remedies recovered on behalf of the state must also be remitted to the state.

(3) Criminal action: The filing of a criminal action is not a condition precedent to MAD's imposition of civil monetary penalties.

G.Reduction of payment: MAD may reduce the amount of any payment due a provider or other entity, in addition to other sanctions, if the provider or other entity seeks to collect an amount in excess of the MAD or a HSD contracted MCO's allowable amount from a MAP eligible recipient, his or her family, his or her authorized agent or any other source. See 42 CFR Section 447.20 - 447.21.

(1) The reduction may be equal to up to three times the amount that the provider sought to collect.

(2) For purposes of this provision, the MAD allowable amount is equal to the amount payable under the state plan or MAD NMAC rules, a MAD or a HSD contracted MCO fee schedule. The provider may not charge a MAP eligible recipient for any effort or penalties such as researching eligibility, not having cards, completing paper work or billing forms, missed appointments, or any other add-on cost unless specifically allowed in a MAD NMAC rule.

H.Sanctions and remedies for noncompliance with nursing facility or intermediate care facility certification requirements: MAD is required to impose additional remedies against a NF provider who fails to comply with federal medicaid and state MAD participation requirements with respect to his or her licensing and certification. One or more of the following remedies can be imposed by MAD for each deficiency constituting noncompliance or for all deficiencies constituting noncompliance: termination of the NF provider's MAD PPA and all provider contracts with the HSD contracted MCO; temporary management; denial of payment for new admissions; civil money penalties; NF closure or the transfer of MAP eligible recipient residents or both; state monitoring; directed plan of correction; directed inservice training; and other state remedies approved by CMS. MAD is also required to impose remedies against an ICF-IID provider who fail to comply with federal medicaid and state MAD licensing and certification requirements. MAD may terminate an ICF-IID provider's certification or deny payment for new admissions if the provider fails to meet the conditions for participation or certain deficiencies are identified by DOH.

(1) Authority of survey agency: DOH is the survey agency designated by MAD. When the rationale for imposition of the remedies is tied to DOH's licensing and certification responsibilities, criteria for imposition of remedies and description of these specific remedies are based on NMAC rules promulgated by the DOH.

(2) Recommendations for imposition of additional remedies: Following completion of a survey, DOH may recommend that specified remedies be imposed against a NF or an ICF-IID provider for failure to meet certification or licensing requirements which are based on the type, extent and seriousness of an identified deficiency. MAD has five working days from receipt of DOH's recommendations to impose remedies or to oppose the recommendations. Unless a response from MAD is received in writing prior to the expiration of the time period, the recommendations are accepted by MAD as submitted and the recommended remedy is imposed.

(3) Informal reconsideration for an ICF-IID provider: An ICF-IID provider can request an informal reconsideration of the decision to deny, terminate or not renew his or her MAD PPA when the HSD administrative hearing final decision will not be completed prior to the effective date of the termination. The informal reconsideration must be completed prior to the effective date of the termination. The informal reconsideration includes the following:

(a) written notice to the ICF-IID provider of the denial, termination or nonrenewal of his or her MAD PPA;

(b) reasonable opportunity for the ICF-IID provider to refute the findings upon which the decision was based; and

(c) a written affirmation or reversal of the denial, termination or nonrenewal of the provider's MAD PPA.

I.Sanction for violation of the Medicaid Provider Act: MAD may take any or any combinations of the following delineated actions against a provider or other entity for a violation of the Medicaid Provider Act.

(1) imposition of an administrative penalty of not more than $5,000 for engaging in any practice that violates the act; each separate occurrence of such practice constitutes a separate offense;

(2) MAD issues an administrative order requiring the provider or other entity to:

(a) cease or modify any specified conduct or practices engaged in by the provider or other entity or his or her employees, subcontractors, or agents;

(b) fulfill its contractual obligations in the manner specified in the order;

(c) provide any service that has been denied;

(d) take steps to provide or arrange for any service that it has agreed to or is otherwise obligated to make available; or

(e) enter into and abide by the terms of binding or nonbinding arbitration proceeding, if agreed to by the opposing parties;

(3) suspend or terminate the provider's MAD PPA and the provider contracts with a HSD contracted MCO.

N.M. Admin. Code § 8.351.2.11

8.351.2.11 NMAC - Rp, 8.351.2.11 NMAC, 1-1-14