Section 287.129

Title XVIII LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

Chapter 287

Effective - 01 Jan 2017, 2 histories, see footnote   

  287.129.  False billing practices of health care provider, defined, effect — department of commerce and insurance, powers — penalty. — 1.  A health care provider commits a fraudulent workers' compensation insurance act if he or she knowingly and with intent to defraud presents, causes to be presented, or prepares with knowledge or belief that it will be presented, to or by an insurer, purported insurer, broker, or any agent thereof, any claim for payment or other benefit which involves any one or more of the following false billing practices:

  (1)  "Unbundling" an insurance claim by claiming a number of medical procedures were performed instead of a single comprehensive procedure;

  (2)  "Upcoding" a medical, hospital or rehabilitative insurance claim by claiming that a more serious or extensive procedure was performed than was actually performed;

  (3)  "Exploding" a medical, hospital or rehabilitative insurance claim by claiming a series of tests were performed on a single sample of blood, urine, or other bodily fluid, when actually the series of tests were part of one battery of tests; or

  (4)  "Duplicating" a medical, hospital or rehabilitative insurance claim made by a health care provider by resubmitting the claim through another health care provider in which the original health care provider has an ownership interest.  

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Nothing in this section shall prohibit providers from making good faith efforts to ensure that claims for reimbursement are coded to reflect the proper diagnosis and treatment.

  2.  If, by its own inquiries or as a result of complaints, the department of commerce and insurance has reason to believe that a person has engaged in, or is engaging in, any fraudulent workers' compensation insurance act contained in this section, it may administer oaths and affirmations, serve subpoenas ordering the attendance of witnesses or proffering of matter, and collect evidence.

  3.  If the matter that the department of commerce and insurance seeks to obtain by request is located outside the state, the person so requested may make it available to the division or its representative to examine the matter at the place where it is located.  The department may designate representatives, including officials of the state in which the matter is located, to inspect the matter on its behalf, and it may respond to similar requests from officials of other states.

  4.  Any person violating any of the provisions of subsection 1 of this section is guilty of a class A misdemeanor and the person shall be liable to the state of Missouri for a fine up to twenty thousand dollars.  Any person who has previously been found guilty of violating any of the provisions of subsection 1 of this section and who subsequently violates any of the provisions of subsection 1 of this section is guilty of a class E felony.

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(L. 1993 S.B. 251, A.L. 2005 S.B. 1 & 130, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491)

Effective 1-01-17