Section 208.915

Title XII PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE

Chapter 208

Effective - 28 Aug 2005   

  208.915.  Misappropriation of consumer's property or funds, report to the department — content of report — investigation procedures — employee disqualification list maintained. — 1.  Any person having reasonable cause to believe that a misappropriation of a consumer's property or funds, or the falsification of any documents verifying personal care assistance services delivery to the consumer, has occurred may report such information to the department.

  2.  For each report the department shall attempt to obtain the name and address of the vendor, the personal care attendant, the personal care assistance services consumer, information regarding the nature of the misappropriation or falsification, the name of the complainant, and any other information which might be helpful in an investigation.

  3.  Any personal care assistance services vendor, or personal care attendant who puts to his or her own use or the use of the personal care assistance services vendor or otherwise diverts from the personal care assistance services consumer's use any personal property or funds of the consumer, or falsifies any documents for service delivery, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

  4.  Upon receipt of a report, the department shall immediately initiate an investigation and report information gained from such investigation to appropriate law enforcement authorities.

  5.  If the investigation indicates probable misappropriation of property or funds, or falsification of any documents for service delivery of a personal care assistance services consumer, the investigator shall refer the complaint together with the investigator's report to the department director or the director's designee for appropriate action.

  6.  Reports shall be confidential, as provided under section 192.2500.  

  7.  Anyone, except any person participating in or benefitting from the misappropriation of funds, who makes a report under this section or who testifies in any administrative or judicial proceeding arising from the report shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability for making such a report or for testifying except for liability for perjury, unless such person acted negligently, recklessly, in bad faith, or with malicious purpose.

  8.  Within five working days after a report required to be made under this section is received, the person making the report shall be notified in writing of its receipt and of the initiation of the investigation.

  9.  No person who directs or exercises any authority in a personal care assistance services vendor agency shall harass, dismiss or retaliate against a personal care assistance services consumer or a personal care attendant because he or she or any member of his or her family has made a report of any violation or suspected violation of laws, ordinances or regulations applying to the personal care assistance services vendor or any personal care attendant which he or she has reasonable cause to believe has been committed or has occurred.

  10.  The department shall maintain the employee disqualification list and place on the employee disqualification list the names of any personal care attendants who are or have been employed by a personal care assistance services consumer, and the names of any persons who are or have been employed by a vendor as defined in subdivision (10) of section 208.900, and who have been finally determined by the department under section 192.2490 to have misappropriated any property or funds, or falsified any documents for service delivery to a personal care assistance services consumer and who came to be known to the consumer, directly or indirectly by virtue of the consumer's participation in the personal care assistance services program.  

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(L. 2005 S.B. 539 § 660.676)