63A-13-201.  Creation of office — Inspector general — Appointment — Term.

(1)  There is created an independent entity within the department known as the “Office of Inspector General of Medicaid Services.”

Terms Used In Utah Code 63A-13-201

  • Abuse: means :
(a) an action or practice that:
(i) is inconsistent with sound fiscal, business, or medical practices; and
(ii) results, or may result, in unnecessary Medicaid related costs; or
(b) reckless or negligent upcoding. See Utah Code 63A-13-102
  • Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
  • Department: means the Department of Health and Human Services created in Section 26B-1-201. See Utah Code 63A-13-102
  • Division: means the Division of Integrated Healthcare, created in Section 26B-3-102. See Utah Code 63A-13-102
  • Executive director: means the executive director of the Department of Government Operations. See Utah Code 63A-1-103
  • Inspector general: means the inspector general of the office, appointed under Section 63A-13-201. See Utah Code 63A-13-102
  • Office: means the Office of Inspector General of Medicaid Services, created in Section 63A-13-201. See Utah Code 63A-13-102
  • Person: means :Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Waste: includes an activity that:
    (i) does not constitute abuse or necessarily involve a violation of law; and
    (ii) relates primarily to mismanagement, an inappropriate action, or inadequate oversight. See Utah Code 63A-13-102
    (2)  The governor shall:

    (a)  appoint the inspector general of Medicaid services with the advice and consent of the Senate; and

    (b)  establish the salary for the inspector general of Medicaid services based upon a recommendation from the Division of Human Resource Management which shall be based on a market salary survey conducted by the Division of Human Resource Management.

    (3)  A person appointed as the inspector general shall have the following qualifications:

    (a)  a general knowledge of the type of methodology and controls necessary to audit, investigate, and identify fraud, waste, and abuse;

    (b)  strong management skills;

    (c)  extensive knowledge of performance audit methodology;

    (d)  the ability to oversee and execute an audit; and

    (e)  strong interpersonal skills.

    (4)  The inspector general of Medicaid services:

    (a)  shall serve a term of four years; and

    (b)  may be removed by the governor, for cause.

    (5)  If the inspector general is removed for cause, a new inspector general shall be appointed, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve the remainder of the term of the inspector general of Medicaid services who was removed for cause.

    (6)  The Office of Inspector General of Medicaid Services:

    (a)  is not under the supervision of, and does not take direction from, the executive director, except for administrative purposes;

    (b)  shall use the legal services of the state attorney general’s office;

    (c)  shall submit a budget for the office directly to the department;

    (d)  except as prohibited by federal law, is subject to:

    (i)  Title 51, Chapter 5, Funds Consolidation Act;

    (ii)  Title 51, Chapter 7, State Money Management Act;

    (iii)  Title 63A, Utah Government Operations Code;

    (iv)  Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act;

    (v)  Title 63G, Chapter 4, Administrative Procedures Act;

    (vi)  Title 63G, Chapter 6a, Utah Procurement Code;

    (vii)  Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act;

    (viii)  Title 63J, Chapter 2, Revenue Procedures and Control Act;

    (ix)  Chapter 17, Utah State Personnel Management Act;

    (x)  Title 67, Chapter 16, Utah Public Officers’ and Employees’ Ethics Act;

    (xi)  Title 52, Chapter 4, Open and Public Meetings Act;

    (xii)  Title 63G, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and Management Act; and

    (xiii)  coverage under the Risk Management Fund created under Section 63A-4-201;

    (e)  when requested, shall provide reports to the governor, the president of the Senate, or the speaker of the House; and

    (f)  shall adopt administrative rules to establish policies for employees that are substantially similar to the administrative rules adopted by the Division of Human Resource Management.

    Amended by Chapter 344, 2021 General Session