Act No. 222

Public Acts of 2011

Approved by the Governor

November 15, 2011

Filed with the Secretary of State

November 15, 2011

EFFECTIVE DATE: November 15, 2011

STATE OF MICHIGAN

96TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2011

Introduced by Senator Jones

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 235

AN ACT to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled “An act to protect and promote the public health; to codify, revise, consolidate, classify, and add to the laws relating to public health; to provide for the prevention and control of diseases and disabilities; to provide for the classification, administration, regulation, financing, and maintenance of personal, environmental, and other health services and activities; to create or continue, and prescribe the powers and duties of, departments, boards, commissions, councils, committees, task forces, and other agencies; to prescribe the powers and duties of governmental entities and officials; to regulate occupations, facilities, and agencies affecting the public health; to regulate health maintenance organizations and certain third party administrators and insurers; to provide for the imposition of a regulatory fee; to provide for the levy of taxes against certain health facilities or agencies; to promote the efficient and economical delivery of health care services, to provide for the appropriate utilization of health care facilities and services, and to provide for the closure of hospitals or consolidation of hospitals or services; to provide for the collection and use of data and information; to provide for the transfer of property; to provide certain immunity from liability; to regulate and prohibit the sale and offering for sale of drug paraphernalia under certain circumstances; to provide for the implementation of federal law; to provide for penalties and remedies; to provide for sanctions for violations of this act and local ordinances; to provide for an appropriation and supplements; to repeal certain acts and parts of acts; to repeal certain parts of this act; and to repeal certain parts of this act on specific dates,” by amending section 16221 (MCL 333.16221), as amended by 2004 PA 214.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 16221. The department may investigate activities related to the practice of a health profession by a licensee, a registrant, or an applicant for licensure or registration. The department may hold hearings, administer oaths, and order relevant testimony to be taken and shall report its findings to the appropriate disciplinary subcommittee. The disciplinary subcommittee shall proceed under section 16226 if it finds that 1 or more of the following grounds exist:

(a) A violation of general duty, consisting of negligence or failure to exercise due care, including negligent delegation to or supervision of employees or other individuals, whether or not injury results, or any conduct, practice, or condition that impairs, or may impair, the ability to safely and skillfully practice the health profession.

(b) Personal disqualifications, consisting of 1 or more of the following:

(i) Incompetence.

(ii) Subject to sections 16165 to 16170a, substance abuse as defined in section 6107.

(iii) Mental or physical inability reasonably related to and adversely affecting the licensee’s ability to practice in a safe and competent manner.

(iv) Declaration of mental incompetence by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(v) Conviction of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for a maximum term of 2 years; a misdemeanor involving the illegal delivery, possession, or use of a controlled substance; or a felony. A certified copy of the court record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

(vi) Lack of good moral character.

(vii) Conviction of a criminal offense under section 520e or 520g of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.520e and 750.520g. A certified copy of the court record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

(viii) Conviction of a violation of section 492a of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.492a. A certified copy of the court record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

(ix) Conviction of a misdemeanor or felony involving fraud in obtaining or attempting to obtain fees related to the practice of a health profession. A certified copy of the court record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

(x) Final adverse administrative action by a licensure, registration, disciplinary, or certification board involving the holder of, or an applicant for, a license or registration regulated by another state or a territory of the United States, by the United States military, by the federal government, or by another country. A certified copy of the record of the board is conclusive evidence of the final action.

(xi) Conviction of a misdemeanor that is reasonably related to or that adversely affects the licensee’s ability to practice in a safe and competent manner. A certified copy of the court record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

(xii) Conviction of a violation of section 430 of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.430. A certified copy of the court record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

(xiii) Conviction of a criminal offense under section 520b, 520c, 520d, or 520f of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.520b, 750.520c, 750.520d, and 750.520f. A certified copy of the court record is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

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

(i) Fraud or deceit in obtaining or renewing a license or registration.

(ii) Permitting the license or registration to be used by an unauthorized person.

(iii) Practice outside the scope of a license.

(iv) Obtaining, possessing, or attempting to obtain or possess a controlled substance as defined in section 7104 or a drug as defined in section 7105 without lawful authority; or selling, prescribing, giving away, or administering drugs for other than lawful diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

(d) Unethical business practices, consisting of 1 or more of the following:

(i) False or misleading advertising.

(ii) Dividing fees for referral of patients or accepting kickbacks on medical or surgical services, appliances, or medications purchased by or in behalf of patients.

(iii) Fraud or deceit in obtaining or attempting to obtain third party reimbursement.

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

(i) Misrepresentation to a consumer or patient or in obtaining or attempting to obtain third party reimbursement in the course of professional practice.

(ii) Betrayal of a professional confidence.

(iii) Promotion for personal gain of an unnecessary drug, device, treatment, procedure, or service.

(iv) Either of the following:

(A) A requirement by a licensee other than a physician that an individual purchase or secure a drug, device, treatment, procedure, or service from another person, place, facility, or business in which the licensee has a financial interest.

(B) A referral by a physician for a designated health service that violates 42 USC 1395nn or a regulation promulgated under that section. For purposes of this subparagraph, 42 USC 1395nn and the regulations promulgated under that section as they exist on June 3, 2002 are incorporated by reference. A disciplinary subcommittee shall apply 42 USC 1395nn and the regulations promulgated under that section regardless of the source of payment for the designated health service referred and rendered. If 42 USC 1395nn or a regulation promulgated under that section is revised after June 3, 2002, the department shall officially take notice of the revision. Within 30 days after taking notice of the revision, the department shall decide whether or not the revision pertains to referral by physicians for designated health services and continues to protect the public from inappropriate referrals by physicians. If the department decides that the revision does both of those things, the department may promulgate rules to incorporate the revision by reference. If the department does promulgate rules to incorporate the revision by reference, the department shall not make any changes to the revision. As used in this subparagraph, “designated health service” means that term as defined in 42 USC 1395nn and the regulations promulgated under that section and “physician” means that term as defined in sections 17001 and 17501.

(v) For a physician who makes referrals pursuant to 42 USC 1395nn or a regulation promulgated under that section, refusing to accept a reasonable proportion of patients eligible for medicaid and refusing to accept payment from medicaid or medicare as payment in full for a treatment, procedure, or service for which the physician refers the individual and in which the physician has a financial interest. A physician who owns all or part of a facility in which he or she provides surgical services is not subject to this subparagraph if a referred surgical procedure he or she performs in the facility is not reimbursed at a minimum of the appropriate medicaid or medicare outpatient fee schedule, including the combined technical and professional components.

(f) Beginning June 3, 2003, the department of consumer and industry services shall prepare the first of 3 annual reports on the effect of 2002 PA 402 on access to care for the uninsured and medicaid patients. The department shall report on the number of referrals by licensees of uninsured and medicaid patients to purchase or secure a drug, device, treatment, procedure, or service from another person, place, facility, or business in which the licensee has a financial interest.

(g) Failure to report a change of name or mailing address within 30 days after the change occurs.

(h) A violation, or aiding or abetting in a violation, of this article or of a rule promulgated under this article.

(i) Failure to comply with a subpoena issued pursuant to this part, failure to respond to a complaint issued under this article or article 7, failure to appear at a compliance conference or an administrative hearing, or failure to report under section 16222 or 16223.

(j) Failure to pay an installment of an assessment levied pursuant to the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.100 to 500.8302, within 60 days after notice by the appropriate board.

(k) A violation of section 17013 or 17513.

(l) Failure to meet 1 or more of the requirements for licensure or registration under section 16174.

(m) A violation of section 17015 or 17515.

(n) A violation of section 17016 or 17516.

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

(p) A violation of section 5654 or 5655.

(q) A violation of section 16274.

(r) A violation of section 17020 or 17520.

(s) A violation of the medical records access act, 2004 PA 47, MCL 333.26261 to 333.26271.

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

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect unless all of the following bills of the 96th Legislature are enacted into law:

(a) House Bill No. 4411.

(b) House Bill No. 4412.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor