(a) For purposes of this section, “provider of home health agency services” means a home health agency that is licensed by the department under § 1726 of the Health and Safety Code that meets the requirements for the medicaid program under Subpart A (commencing with Sec. 441.10) of Part 441 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as amended, that meets the requirements for the Medicare program under Part 484 (commencing with Sec. 481.1) and Part 489 (commencing with Sec. 489.1) of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as amended, and that is enrolled as a provider in the Medi-Cal program. In the event of inconsistent requirements between the medicaid and Medicare programs, medicaid requirements shall take precedence.

(b) Within 90 days after the effective date of a final federal regulation requiring that a provider of home health agency services must acquire a surety bond in order to participate in the medicaid or Medicare program, each provider of home health agency services shall obtain, and thereafter maintain, a surety bond meeting the requirements of the final federal regulation, as amended, as a condition of participation in the Medi-Cal program.

(c) Any entity that has applied to become a provider of home health agency services less than 90 days prior to the date that the final federal regulation described in subdivision (b) becomes effective shall submit a surety bond within 90 days of the effective date of the regulation.

(d) Failure of a provider of home health agency services to obtain and maintain a surety bond as required in this section shall result in denial or recoupment of Medi-Cal reimbursement for services provided during the period for which a surety bond should have been in effect.

(e) Failure of a provider of home health agency services to obtain and maintain a surety bond as required in this section shall result in automatic termination of the provider’s participation in the Medi-Cal program.

(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 310, Sec. 82. Effective August 19, 1998.)