(a) Counties shall perform the following quality assurance activities:

1. (1) Establish a dedicated, specialized unit or function to ensure quality assurance and program integrity, including fraud detection and prevention, in the provision of supportive services.
2. (2) Perform routine, scheduled reviews of supportive services cases, to ensure that caseworkers appropriately apply the supportive services uniformity system and other supportive services rules and policies for assessing recipients’ need for services to the end that there are accurate assessments of needs and hours. Counties may consult with state quality assurance staff for technical assistance and shall cooperate with state monitoring of the county’s quality assurance activities and findings.

3. (3) The department and the county welfare departments shall develop policies, procedures, implementation timelines, and instructions under which county quality assurance programs will perform the following activities:

   1. (A) Receiving, resolving, and responding appropriately to claims data match discrepancies or other state level quality assurance and program integrity information that indicates potential overpayments to providers or recipients or third-party liability for supportive services.
   2. (B) Implementing procedures to identify potential sources of third-party liability for supportive services.

   3. (C) Monitoring the delivery of supportive services in the county to detect and prevent potential fraud by providers, recipients, and others and maximize the recovery of overpayments from providers or recipients.

      1. (i) As appropriate, in targeted cases, to protect program integrity, this monitoring may include a visit to the recipient’s home to verify the receipt of services.
      2. (ii) The exact date and time of a home visit shall not be announced to the supportive services recipient or provider.

      3. (iii) The department, in consultation with the county welfare departments, shall develop protocols for followup home visits and other actions, if the provider and recipient are not at the recipient’s home at the time of the initial home visit. The protocols shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:

         1. (I) Information sent to the recipient’s home regarding the goals of the home visit, including the county’s objective to maintain program integrity by verifying the receipt of services, the quality of services and consumer well-being, and the potential loss of services if fraud is substantiated.
         2. (II) Additional attempted visits to the recipient’s home, pursuant to clause (i).
         3. (III) Followup phone calls to both the recipient and the provider, if necessary.
   4. (D) Informing supportive services providers and recipients, and the public that suspected fraud in the provision or receipt of supportive services can be reported by using the toll-free Medi-Cal fraud telephone hotline and internet website.
   5. (E) In accordance with protocols developed pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 12305.7, distribute targeted program integrity mailings to providers. The purpose of the targeted program integrity mailings is to inform providers of appropriate program rules and requirements and consequences for failure to adhere to them.
4. (4) Develop a schedule, beginning July 1, 2005, under which county quality assurance staff shall periodically perform targeted quality assurance studies.
5. (5) In accordance with protocols developed by the department and county welfare departments, conduct joint case review activities with state quality assurance staff, including random postpayment paid claim reviews to ensure that payments to providers were valid and were associated with existing program recipients; identify, refer to, and work with appropriate agencies in investigation, administrative action, or prosecution of instances of fraud in the provision of supportive services. The protocols shall consider the relative priorities of the activities required pursuant to this section and available resources.

(b)

1. (1) Until December 31, 2020, a county may request, and the department may approve, a reduction of quality assurance and program integrity activities pursuant to this section and Section 12305.7 to address staffing shortages and enable the county to repurpose staff to support critical In-Home Supportive Services administrative functions, including intakes and reassessments. Any reduction pursuant to this subdivision shall be in effect for a period of no more than 12 months, to be determined by the department on a case-by-case basis.
2. (2) Until December 31, 2020, a county may perform required quality assurance and program integrity activities pursuant to this section and Section 12305.7 remotely using telehealth, including by video conference or telephone, subject to continuing federal approval.