§1320a–7. Exclusion of certain individuals and entities from participation in Medicare and State health care programs
(a) Mandatory exclusion
The Secretary shall exclude the following individuals and entities from participation in any program under subchapter XVIII of this chapter and shall direct that the following individuals and entities be excluded from participation in any State health care program (as defined in subsection (h) of this section):
(1) Conviction of program-related crimes
Any individual or entity that has been convicted of a criminal offense related to the delivery of an item or service under subchapter XVIII of this chapter or under any State health care program.
(2) Conviction relating to patient abuse
Any individual or entity that has been convicted, under Federal or State law, of a criminal offense relating to neglect or abuse of patients in connection with the delivery of a health care item or service.
(b) Permissive exclusion
The Secretary may exclude the following individuals and entities from participation in any program under subchapter XVIII of this chapter and may direct that the following individuals and entities be excluded from participation in any State health care program:
(1) Conviction relating to fraud
Any individual or entity that has been convicted, under Federal or State law, in connection with the delivery of a health care item or service or with respect to any act or omission in a program operated by or financed in whole or in part by any Federal, State, or local government agency, of a criminal offense relating to fraud, theft, embezzlement, breach of fiduciary responsibility, or other financial misconduct.
(2) Conviction relating to obstruction of an investigation
Any individual or entity that has been convicted, under Federal or State law, in connection with the interference with or obstruction of any investigation into any criminal offense described in paragraph (1) or in subsection (a) of this section.
(3) Conviction relating to controlled substance
Any individual or entity that has been convicted, under Federal or State law, of a criminal offense relating to the unlawful manufacture, distribution, prescription, or dispensing of a controlled substance.
(4) License revocation or suspension
Any individual or entity-
(A) whose license to provide health care has been revoked or suspended by any State licensing authority, or who otherwise lost such a license or the right to apply for or renew such a license, for reasons bearing on the individual's or entity's professional competence, professional performance, or financial integrity, or
(B) who surrendered such a license while a formal disciplinary proceeding was pending before such an authority and the proceeding concerned the individual's or entity's professional competence, professional performance, or financial integrity.
(5) Exclusion or suspension under Federal or State health care program
Any individual or entity which has been suspended or excluded from participation, or otherwise sanctioned, under-
(A) any Federal program, including programs of the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs, involving the provision of health care, or
(B) a State health care program,
for reasons bearing on the individual's or entity's professional competence, professional performance, or financial integrity.
(6) Claims for excessive charges or unnecessary services and failure of certain organizations to furnish medically necessary services
Any individual or entity that the Secretary determines-
(A) has submitted or caused to be submitted bills or requests for payment (where such bills or requests are based on charges or cost) under subchapter XVIII of this chapter or a State health care program containing charges (or, in applicable cases, requests for payment of costs) for items or services furnished substantially in excess of such individual's or entity's usual charges (or, in applicable cases, substantially in excess of such individual's or entity's costs) for such items or services, unless the Secretary finds there is good cause for such bills or requests containing such charges or costs;
(B) has furnished or caused to be furnished items or services to patients (whether or not eligible for benefits under subchapter XVIII of this chapter or under a State health care program) substantially in excess of the needs of such patients or of a quality which fails to meet professionally recognized standards of health care;
(C) is-
(i) a health maintenance organization (as defined in section 1396b(m) of this title) providing items and services under a State plan approved under subchapter XIX of this chapter, or
(ii) an entity furnishing services under a waiver approved under section 1396n(b)(1) of this title,
and has failed substantially to provide medically necessary items and services that are required (under law or the contract with the State under subchapter XIX of this chapter) to be provided to individuals covered under that plan or waiver, if the failure has adversely affected (or has a substantial likelihood of adversely affecting) these individuals; or
(D) is an entity providing items and services as an eligible organization under a risk-sharing contract under section 1395mm of this title and has failed substantially to provide medically necessary items and services that are required (under law or such contract) to be provided to individuals covered under the risk-sharing contract, if the failure has adversely affected (or has a substantial likelihood of adversely affecting) these individuals.
(7) Fraud, kickbacks, and other prohibited activities
Any individual or entity that the Secretary determines has committed an act which is described in section 1320a–7a, 1320a–7b, or 1320a–8 of this title.
(8) Entities controlled by a sanctioned individual
Any entity with respect to which the Secretary determines that a person-
(A)(i) who has a direct or indirect ownership or control interest of 5 percent or more in the entity or with an ownership or control interest (as defined in section 1320a–3(a)(3) of this title) in that entity, or
(ii) who is an officer, director, agent, or managing employee (as defined in section 1320a–5(b) of this title) of that entity-
is a person-
(B)(i) who has been convicted of any offense described in subsection (a) of this section or in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of this subsection;
(ii) against whom a civil monetary penalty has been assessed under section 1320a–7a or 1320a–8 of this title; or
(iii) who has been excluded from participation under a program under subchapter XVIII of this chapter or under a State health care program.
(9) Failure to disclose required information
Any entity that did not fully and accurately make any disclosure required by section 1320a–3 of this title, section 1320a–3a of this title, or section 1320a–5 of this title.
(10) Failure to supply requested information on subcontractors and suppliers
Any disclosing entity (as defined in section 1320a–3(a)(2) of this title) that fails to supply (within such period as may be specified by the Secretary in regulations) upon request specifically addressed to the entity by the Secretary or by the State agency administering or supervising the administration of a State health care program-
(A) full and complete information as to the ownership of a subcontractor (as defined by the Secretary in regulations) with whom the entity has had, during the previous 12 months, business transactions in an aggregate amount in excess of $25,000, or
(B) full and complete information as to any significant business transactions (as defined by the Secretary in regulations), occurring during the five-year period ending on the date of such request, between the entity and any wholly owned supplier or between the entity and any subcontractor.
(11) Failure to supply payment information
Any individual or entity furnishing items or services for which payment may be made under subchapter XVIII of this chapter or a State health care program that fails to provide such information as the Secretary or the appropriate State agency finds necessary to determine whether such payments are or were due and the amounts thereof, or has refused to permit such examination of its records by or on behalf of the Secretary or that agency as may be necessary to verify such information.
(12) Failure to grant immediate access
Any individual or entity that fails to grant immediate access, upon reasonable request (as defined by the Secretary in regulations) to any of the following:
(A) To the Secretary, or to the agency used by the Secretary, for the purpose specified in the first sentence of section 1395aa(a) of this title (relating to compliance with conditions of participation or payment).
(B) To the Secretary or the State agency, to perform the reviews and surveys required under State plans under paragraphs (26), (31), and (33) of section 1396a(a) of this title and under section 1396b(g) of this title.
(C) To the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, for the purpose of reviewing records, documents, and other data necessary to the performance of the statutory functions of the Inspector General.
(D) To a State medicaid fraud control unit (as defined in section 1396b(q) of this title), for the purpose of conducting activities described in that section.
(13) Failure to take corrective action
Any hospital that fails to comply substantially with a corrective action required under section 1395ww(f)(2)(B) of this title.
(14) Default on health education loan or scholarship obligations
Any individual who the Secretary determines is in default on repayments of scholarship obligations or loans in connection with health professions education made or secured, in whole or in part, by the Secretary and with respect to whom the Secretary has taken all reasonable steps available to the Secretary to secure repayment of such obligations or loans, except that (A) the Secretary shall not exclude pursuant to this paragraph a physician who is the sole community physician or sole source of essential specialized services in a community if a State requests that the physician not be excluded, and (B) the Secretary shall take into account, in determining whether to exclude any other physician pursuant to this paragraph, access of beneficiaries to physician services for which payment may be made under subchapter XVIII or XIX of this chapter.
(c) Notice, effective date, and period of exclusion
(1) An exclusion under this section or under section 1320a–7a of this title shall be effective at such time and upon such reasonable notice to the public and to the individual or entity excluded as may be specified in regulations consistent with paragraph (2).
(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), such an exclusion shall be effective with respect to services furnished to an individual on or after the effective date of the exclusion.
(B) Unless the Secretary determines that the health and safety of individuals receiving services warrants the exclusion taking effect earlier, an exclusion shall not apply to payments made under subchapter XVIII of this chapter or under a State health care program for-
(i) inpatient institutional services furnished to an individual who was admitted to such institution before the date of the exclusion, or
(ii) home health services and hospice care furnished to an individual under a plan of care established before the date of the exclusion,
until the passage of 30 days after the effective date of the exclusion.
(3)(A) The Secretary shall specify, in the notice of exclusion under paragraph (1) and the written notice under section 1320a–7a of this title, the minimum period (or, in the case of an exclusion of an individual under subsection (b)(12) of this section, the period) of the exclusion.
(B) In the case of an exclusion under subsection (a) of this section, the minimum period of exclusion shall be not less than five years, except that, upon the request of a State, the Secretary may waive the exclusion under subsection (a)(1) of this section in the case of an individual or entity that is the sole community physician or sole source of essential specialized services in a community. The Secretary's decision whether to waive the exclusion shall not be reviewable.
(C) In the case of an exclusion of an individual under subsection (b)(12) of this section, the period of the exclusion shall be equal to the sum of-
(i) the length of the period in which the individual failed to grant the immediate access described in that subsection, and
(ii) an additional period, not to exceed 90 days, set by the Secretary.
(d) Notice to State agencies and exclusion under State health care programs
(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the Secretary shall exercise the authority under this section and section 1320a–7a of this title in a manner that results in an individual's or entity's exclusion from all the programs under subchapter XVIII of this chapter and all the State health care programs in which the individual or entity may otherwise participate.
(2) The Secretary shall promptly notify each appropriate State agency administering or supervising the administration of each State health care program (and, in the case of an exclusion effected pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and to which section 824(a)(5) of title 21 may apply, the Attorney General)-
(A) of the fact and circumstances of each exclusion effected against an individual or entity under this section or section 1320a–7a of this title, and
(B) of the period (described in paragraph (3)) for which the State agency is directed to exclude the individual or entity from participation in the State health care program.
(3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the period of the exclusion under a State health care program under paragraph (2) shall be the same as any period of exclusion under subchapter XVIII of this chapter.
(B)(i) The Secretary may waive an individual's or entity's exclusion under a State health care program under paragraph (2) if the Secretary receives and approves a request for the waiver with respect to the individual or entity from the State agency administering or supervising the administration of the program.
(ii) A State health care program may provide for a period of exclusion which is longer than the period of exclusion under subchapter XVIII of this chapter.
(e) Notice to State licensing agencies
The Secretary shall-
(1) promptly notify the appropriate State or local agency or authority having responsibility for the licensing or certification of an individual or entity excluded (or directed to be excluded) from participation under this section or section 1320a–7a of this title, of the fact and circumstances of the exclusion,
(2) request that appropriate investigations be made and sanctions invoked in accordance with applicable State law and policy, and
(3) request that the State or local agency or authority keep the Secretary and the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services fully and currently informed with respect to any actions taken in response to the request.
(f) Notice, hearing, and judicial review
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), any individual or entity that is excluded (or directed to be excluded) from participation under this section is entitled to reasonable notice and opportunity for a hearing thereon by the Secretary to the same extent as is provided in section 405(b) of this title, and to judicial review of the Secretary's final decision after such hearing as is provided in section 405(g) of this title, except that, in so applying such sections and section 405(l) of this title, any reference therein to the Commissioner of Social Security or the Social Security Administration shall be considered a reference to the Secretary or the Department of Health and Human Services, respectively.
(2) Unless the Secretary determines that the health or safety of individuals receiving services warrants the exclusion taking effect earlier, any individual or entity that is the subject of an adverse determination under subsection (b)(7) of this section shall be entitled to a hearing by an administrative law judge (as provided under section 405(b) of this title) on the determination under subsection (b)(7) of this section before any exclusion based upon the determination takes effect.
(3) The provisions of section 405(h) of this title shall apply with respect to this section and sections 1320a–7a, 1320a–8, and 1320c–5 of this title to the same extent as it is applicable with respect to subchapter II of this chapter, except that, in so applying such section and section 405(l) of this title, any reference therein to the Commissioner of Social Security shall be considered a reference to the Secretary.
(g) Application for termination of exclusion
(1) An individual or entity excluded (or directed to be excluded) from participation under this section or section 1320a–7a of this title may apply to the Secretary, in the manner specified by the Secretary in regulations and at the end of the minimum period of exclusion provided under subsection (c)(3) of this section and at such other times as the Secretary may provide, for termination of the exclusion effected under this section or section 1320a–7a of this title.
(2) The Secretary may terminate the exclusion if the Secretary determines, on the basis of the conduct of the applicant which occurred after the date of the notice of exclusion or which was unknown to the Secretary at the time of the exclusion, that-
(A) there is no basis under subsection (a) or (b) of this section or section 1320a–7a(a) of this title for a continuation of the exclusion, and
(B) there are reasonable assurances that the types of actions which formed the basis for the original exclusion have not recurred and will not recur.
(3) The Secretary shall promptly notify each appropriate State agency administering or supervising the administration of each State health care program (and, in the case of an exclusion effected pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and to which section 824(a)(5) of title 21 may apply, the Attorney General) of the fact and circumstances of each termination of exclusion made under this subsection.
(h) "State health care program" defined
For purposes of this section and sections 1320a–7a and 1320a–7b of this title, the term "State health care program" means-
(1) a State plan approved under subchapter XIX of this chapter,
(2) any program receiving funds under subchapter V of this chapter or from an allotment to a State under such subchapter, or
(3) any program receiving funds under subchapter XX of this chapter or from an allotment to a State under such subchapter.
(i) "Convicted" defined
For purposes of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, an individual or entity is considered to have been "convicted" of a criminal offense-
(1) when a judgment of conviction has been entered against the individual or entity by a Federal, State, or local court, regardless of whether there is an appeal pending or whether the judgment of conviction or other record relating to criminal conduct has been expunged;
(2) when there has been a finding of guilt against the individual or entity by a Federal, State, or local court;
(3) when a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the individual or entity has been accepted by a Federal, State, or local court; or
(4) when the individual or entity has entered into participation in a first offender, deferred adjudication, or other arrangement or program where judgment of conviction has been withheld.
(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XI, §1128, as added Dec. 5, 1980,
Amendments
1994-Subsec. (b)(7).
Subsec. (b)(8)(B)(ii).
Subsec. (f)(1).
Subsec. (f)(3).
1991-Subsec. (b)(5)(A).
1990-Subsec. (b)(9).
1989-Subsec. (b)(4)(A).
1988-
Subsec. (d)(3)(B)(ii).
1987-
Subsec. (b)(8)(A)(i).
Subsec. (d)(1).
Subsec. (d)(3)(A).
Subsec. (d)(3)(B).
Subsec. (i).
Subsec. (i)(4).
1986-Subsec. (f).
1984-Subsecs. (b) to (e).
1981-Subsec. (a)(1).
Subsec. (a)(2).
Subsecs. (b) to (d).
Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
Amendment by section 108(b)(9) of
Section 206(b)(3) of
Effective Date of 1990 Amendment
Amendment by
Effective Date of 1989 Amendment
Section 6411(d)(4)[(A)] of
Effective Date of 1988 Amendment
Except as specifically provided in section 411 of
Effective Date of 1987 Amendment
Section 15 of
"(a)
"(b)
"(c)
"(2) In the case of a State plan for medical assistance under title XIX of the Social Security Act which the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines requires State legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) in order for the plan to meet the additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by this Act, the State plan shall not be regarded as failing to comply with the requirements of such title solely on the basis of its failure to meet these additional requirements before the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning after the close of the first regular session of the State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act.
"(3) Subsection (j) of section 1128A of the Social Security Act [section 1320a–7a(j) of this title] (as added by section 3(f) of this Act) takes effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
"(d)
"(e)
"(f)
Effective Date of 1986 Amendment
Section 9317(d)(3) of
"(A) of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 1128(f) of the Social Security Act [subsec. (f)(1)–(3) of this section] (as added by the amendment made by subsection (c)) shall apply to judgments entered, findings made, and pleas entered, before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 21, 1986], and
"(B) of paragraph (4) of such section [subsec. (f)(4) of this section] shall apply to participation in a program entered into on or after the date of the enactment of this Act."
Effective Date of 1984 Amendment
Section 2333(c) of
Effective Date of 1981 Amendment
Amendment by section 2353(k) of
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 704, 1320a–3a, 1320a–5, 1320a–7b, 1320a–8, 1320c–5, 1395l, 1395m, 1395u, 1395y, 1395cc, 1395mm, 1395ww, 1395aaa, 1396a, 1396b, 1396r–2, 1396r–6, 1397d of this title; title 21 section 824.