Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 2024
(a)
General.
(1) Purpose. The furnishing of
financial security will indemnify the department against overpayments which may
be made to the provider.
(2) This
section applies only to providers of ordered services or supplies and
applicants for enrollment as providers of such services or supplies. For the
purposes of this section, ordered services or supplies are:
(i) pharmacy services and supplies;
(ii) durable medical equipment;
(iii) clinical laboratory services;
and
(iv) nonemergency
transportation.
(3) The
department may require a provider to provide financial security to the
department if the department has estimated that the total claims for payment
for ordered services or supplies to be submitted to the department by that
provider exceed either $500,000 per year or $42,000 in any month. The
computation of these estimates must exclude the amount, if any, of the estimate
of the provider's claims for payment for services that are not ordered
services. When the department has determined that a provider must furnish
financial security, that provider must provide such security as a condition of
the provider's participation or continued participation in the medical
assistance program.
(b)
Exemptions. The department will not require a provider established under the
authority of article 28 of the Public Health Law to supply financial
security.
(c) Form of financial
security.
(1) Financial security may take the
following forms:
(i) a bond;
(ii) an irrevocable letter of
credit;
(iii) a certificate of
deposit inclusive of any interest earned thereon; or
(iv) a combination of the above.
(2) Financial security must be
issued by an issuing entity. An issuing entity is:
(i) a corporate surety authorized to do
business in this State where the financial security to be supplied is in the
form of a bond;
(ii) a bank, trust
company, savings bank or savings and loan association which is:
(a) chartered by either this State or the
United States of America; and
(b)
authorized to do business in this State; and
(c) insured by either the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation or the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation
where the financial security to be supplied is in the form of a letter of
credit or certificate of deposit.
(3) The bond, letter of credit or certificate
of deposit must be payable to the State of New York.
(d) Means of estimation. Providers determined
to be solvent, stable, and fiscally responsible will not be required to provide
financial security. In determining whether to require a provider to supply
financial security, and in determining whether such security should be
increased or decreased, the department will consider the following:
(1) whether the provider is solvent as shown
by a review of certified financial statements, credit checks, other sources of
income or other indicia of financial status;
(2) the stability of the provider as shown by
the length of time the provider has been in business and the length of time the
provider has been enrolled in the medical assistance program; and
(3) the fiscal responsibility of the provider
as shown by the results of any prior audits or investigations of the provider
by the department, a health insurance program or another government
agency.
(e) Amount of
financial security.
(1) If financial security
is required by the department, it must be in the amount of a provider's
estimated claims for payment for the year for ordered services as determined by
the department in accordance with the provisions of this section. In
determining the estimated claims for payment for the year, the department may
consider:
(i) the provider's actual billings
during the previous year;
(ii) the
billings of providers of similar services, taking into consideration the
comparative sizes of the businesses of such other providers;
(iii) the location of the provider;
and
(iv) the provider's estimate of
yearly billings.
(2) A
provider may request a decrease in the amount of financial security required if
its actual claims for payment for ordered services are 10 percent or more below
the estimated claims for payment. A provider may request such a decrease at the
end of the first six months after initially providing financial security and
every six months thereafter. If a provider's actual claims for payment for
ordered services are below the estimated amount by more than 10 percent, the
department may reduce the amount of security. The department must make its
determination on the basis of at least six consecutive months of submitted
claims.
(3) The department may
assess a provider's billings as often as the department deems appropriate to
determine whether the amount of financial security should be increased. If a
provider's actual claims for payment for ordered services exceeds the amount of
estimated claims for payment for ordered services by more than 10 percent, the
department may require that the amount of security be increased. The department
will make its determination on the basis of at least six consecutive months of
submitted claims. The department will notify the provider in writing that the
provider must increase the amount of financial security. Such notice will set
forth the basis for the department's conclusion that the amount of security
shall be increased. A provider's enrollment in the medical assistance program
may be terminated upon the failure to increase the amount of such security
within 90 days of the date of the department's request to increase the amount
of such security.
(4) A provider
which was not previously required to supply financial security because its
estimated claims were less than $500,000 per year or $42,000 per month may
later be required to supply such security if that provider's actual claims
exceed either such amount. The department may require such security if the
provider submits at least $42,000 in claims for payment during any given month
or if the provider submits claims for payment amounting to at least $500,000
during any one-year period. The department will notify the provider in writing
of the requirement that the provider supply financial security. A provider's
enrollment in the medical assistance program may be terminated upon the failure
to supply such security within 90 days of the date of the department's request
to supply such security.
(5) A
provider which was previously required to supply financial security may request
to be relieved of the obligation to continue to supply such security on the
basis that the provider has not submitted billings of $500,000 in a year or
$42,000 during any given month. In determining whether a provider should be
relieved of the obligation to supply financial security, the department will
consider the provider's billings for the 12-month period beginning with the
first full month after the provider supplied the financial security.
(f) Effect of not supplying
financial security. A provider's enrollment in the medical assistance program
will be terminated upon the failure to supply or to increase the amount of
financial security within 90 days of the date of the department's request to
supply or increase the amount of such security. A provider's enrollment will
not be terminated if the provider can demonstrate in writing within 90 days of
the department's request that the failure to supply or increase such security
is solely attributable to delays on the part of the issuing entity. Except as
provided in paragraph (g)(1) of this section, if any financial security
supplied pursuant to this section is canceled, revoked, allowed to expire or
otherwise terminated or changed by the issuing entity, the participation of the
provider in the medical assistance program will be immediately terminated. The
department will send the provider a notice confirming any such
termination.
(g) Financial security
agreements.
(1) Any bond, letter of credit or
certificate of deposit supplied pursuant to this section may not by its terms
be canceled, revoked, modified or allowed to expire or be otherwise terminated
without at least 45 days prior written notice to the department and the express
written consent of the department. The department will grant consent only when
it has previously approved a request made pursuant to either paragraph (e)(2)
or paragraph (e)(5) of this section. However, the consent of the department is
not required before a financial security agreement is terminated or changed by
the issuing entity by reason of nonpayment of a premium or other default by the
provider or when the amount of security is increased pursuant to paragraph
(e)(3) of this section. The agreement between the provider and the issuing
entity concerning the financial security of the provider must contain a
provision which requires the issuing entity to provide written notification to
the department 45 days in advance of any proposed cancellation, revocation,
modification, expiration or other termination or change, including instances
where the agreement is terminated or otherwise affected by a default by the
provider.
(2) The department may
demand that the issuing entity pay to the department the proceeds of the
financial security only when the department has determined as a result of an
audit report issued pursuant to Part 517 of this Title or a notice issued
pursuant to Part 515 of this Title, that a provider was overpaid for services
claimed to have been provided to one or more recipients of medical assistance
and the provider has not complied with a request from the department for
repayment of such overpayments, plus interest if any.