Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5124.521 – Withholding from medicaid payment due exiting operator

(A) Except as provided in divisions (B), (C), and (D) of this section, the department of developmental disabilities may withhold from payment due an exiting operator under the medicaid program the total amount specified in the notice provided under division (C) of section 5124.52 of the Revised Code that the exiting operator owes or may owe to the department and United States centers for medicare and medicaid services under the medicaid program.
(B) In the case of a change of operator and subject to division (E) of this section, the following shall apply regarding a withholding under division (A) of this section if the exiting operator or entering operator or an affiliated operator executes a successor liability agreement meeting the requirements of division (F) of this section:
1. (1) If the exiting operator, entering operator, or affiliated operator assumes liability for the total, actual amount of debt the exiting operator owes the department and the United States centers for medicare and medicaid services under the medicaid program as determined under section 5124.525 of the Revised Code, the department shall not make the withholding.
2. (2) If the exiting operator, entering operator, or affiliated operator assumes liability for only the portion of the amount specified in division (B)(1) of this section that represents the franchise permit fee the exiting operator owes, the department shall withhold not more than the difference between the total amount specified in the notice provided under division (C) of section 5124.52 of the Revised Code and the amount for which the exiting operator, entering operator, or affiliated operator assumes liability.
(C) In the case of a voluntary termination or facility closure and subject to division (E) of this section, the following shall apply regarding a withholding under division (A) of this section if the exiting operator or an affiliated operator executes a successor liability agreement meeting the requirements of division (F) of this section:
1. (1) If the exiting operator or affiliated operator assumes liability for the total, actual amount of debt the exiting operator owes the department and the United States centers for medicare and medicaid services under the medicaid program as determined under section 5124.525 of the Revised Code, the department shall not make the withholding.
2. (2) If the exiting operator or affiliated operator assumes liability for only the portion of the amount specified in division (C)(1) of this section that represents the franchise permit fee the exiting operator owes, the department shall withhold not more than the difference between the total amount specified in the notice provided under division (C) of section 5124.52 of the Revised Code and the amount for which the exiting operator or affiliated operator assumes liability.
(D) In the case of an involuntary termination and subject to division (E) of this section, the following shall apply regarding a withholding under division (A) of this section if the exiting operator, the entering operator, or an affiliated operator executes a successor liability agreement meeting the requirements of division (F) of this section and the department approves the successor liability agreement:
1. (1) If the exiting operator, entering operator, or affiliated operator assumes liability for the total, actual amount of debt the exiting operator owes the department and the United States centers for medicare and medicaid services under the medicaid program as determined under section 5124.525 of the Revised Code, the department shall not make the withholding.
2. (2) If the exiting operator, entering operator, or affiliated operator assumes liability for only the portion of the amount specified in division (D)(1) of this section that represents the franchise permit fee the exiting operator owes, the department shall withhold not more than the difference between the total amount specified in the notice provided under division (C) of section 5124.52 of the Revised Code and the amount for which the exiting operator, entering operator, or affiliated operator assumes liability.
(E) For an exiting operator or affiliated operator to be eligible to enter into a successor liability agreement under division (B), (C), or (D) of this section, both of the following must apply:
1. (1) The exiting operator or affiliated operator must have one or more valid provider agreements, other than the provider agreement for the ICF/IID that is the subject of the involuntary termination, voluntary termination, facility closure, or change of operator;
2. (2) During the twelve-month period preceding either the effective date of the involuntary termination or the month in which the department receives the notice of the voluntary termination or facility closure under section 5124.50 of the Revised Code or the notice of the change of operator under section 5124.51 of the Revised Code, the average monthly medicaid payment made to the exiting operator or affiliated operator pursuant to the exiting operator's or affiliated operator's one or more provider agreements, other than the provider agreement for the ICF/IID that is the subject of the involuntary termination, voluntary termination, facility closure, or change of operator, must equal at least ninety per cent of the sum of the following:
  1. (a) The average monthly medicaid payment made to the exiting operator pursuant to the exiting operator's provider agreement for the ICF/IID that is the subject of the involuntary termination, voluntary termination, facility closure, or change of operator;
  2. (b) Whichever of the following apply:
    1. (i) If the exiting operator or affiliated operator has assumed liability under one or more other successor liability agreements, the total amount for which the exiting operator or affiliated operator has assumed liability under the other successor liability agreements;
    2. (ii) If the exiting operator or affiliated operator has not assumed liability under any other successor liability agreements, zero.
(F) A successor liability agreement executed under this section must comply with all of the following:
1. (1) It must provide for the operator who executes the successor liability agreement to assume liability for either of the following as specified in the agreement:
  1. (a) The total, actual amount of debt the exiting operator owes the department and the United States centers for medicare and medicaid services under the medicaid program as determined under section 5124.525 of the Revised Code;
  2. (b) The portion of the amount specified in division (F)(1)(a) of this section that represents the franchise permit fee the exiting operator owes.
2. (2) It may not require the operator who executes the successor liability agreement to furnish a surety bond.
3. (3) It must provide that the department, after determining under section 5124.525 of the Revised Code the actual amount of debt the exiting operator owes the department and United States centers for medicare and medicaid services under the medicaid program, may deduct the lesser of the following from medicaid payments made to the operator who executes the successor liability agreement:
  1. (a) The total, actual amount of debt the exiting operator owes the department and the United States centers for medicare and medicaid services under the medicaid program as determined under section 5124.525 of the Revised Code;
  2. (b) The amount for which the operator who executes the successor liability agreement assumes liability under the agreement.
4. (4) It must provide that the deductions authorized by division (F)(3) of this section are to be made for a number of months, not to exceed six, agreed to by the operator who executes the successor liability agreement and the department or, if the operator who executes the successor liability agreement and department cannot agree on a number of months that is less than six, a greater number of months determined by the attorney general pursuant to a claims collection process authorized by statute of this state.
5. (5) It must provide that, if the attorney general determines the number of months for which the deductions authorized by division (F)(3) of this section are to be made, the operator who executes the successor liability agreement shall pay, in addition to the amount collected pursuant to the attorney general's claims collection process, the part of the amount so collected that, if not for division (H) of this section, would be required by section 109.081 of the Revised Code to be paid into the attorney general claims fund.
(G) Execution of a successor liability agreement does not waive an exiting operator's right to contest the amount specified in the notice the department provides the exiting operator under division (C) of section 5124.52 of the Revised Code.
(H) Notwithstanding section 109.081 of the Revised Code, the entire amount that the attorney general, whether by employees or agents of the attorney general or by special counsel appointed pursuant to section 109.08 of the Revised Code, collects under a successor liability agreement, other than the additional amount the operator who executes the agreement is required by division (F)(5) of this section to pay, shall be paid to the department of developmental disabilities for deposit into the appropriate fund. The additional amount that the operator is required to pay shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the attorney general claims fund created under section 109.081 of the Revised Code.