(a) Any person, including any applicant or provider as defined in Section 14043.1, or billing agent, as defined in Section 14040.1, who engages in any of the activities identified in subdivision (b) is punishable by imprisonment as set forth in subdivisions (c) , (d), and (e), by a fine not exceeding three times the amount of the fraud or improper reimbursement or value of the scheme or artifice, or by both this fine and imprisonment.

(b) The following activities are subject to subdivision (a):

(1) A person, with intent to defraud, presents for allowance or payment any false or fraudulent claim for furnishing services or merchandise under this chapter or Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200).

(2) A person knowingly submits false information for the purpose of obtaining greater compensation than that to which he or she is legally entitled for furnishing services or merchandise under this chapter or Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200).

(3) A person knowingly submits false information for the purpose of obtaining authorization for furnishing services or merchandise under this chapter or Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200).

(4) A person knowingly and willfully executes, or attempts to execute, a scheme or artifice to do either of the following:

(A) Defraud the Medi-Cal program or any other health care program administered by the department or its agents or contractors.

(B) Obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, the Medi-Cal program or any other health care program administered by the department or its agents or contractors, in connection with the delivery of or payment for health care benefits, services, goods, supplies, or merchandise.

(c) A violation of subdivision (a) is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail, or in the state prison for two, three, or five years.

(d) If the execution of a scheme or artifice to defraud as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) is committed under circumstances likely to cause or that do cause two or more persons great bodily injury, as defined in § 12022.7 of the Penal Code, or serious bodily injury, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (f) of § 243 of the Penal Code, a term of four years, in addition and consecutive to the term of imprisonment imposed in subdivision (c), shall be imposed for each person who suffers great bodily injury or serious bodily injury.

The additional terms provided in this subdivision shall not be imposed unless the facts showing the circumstances that were likely to cause or that did cause great bodily injury or serious bodily injury to two or more persons are charged in the accusatory pleading and admitted or found to be true by the trier of fact.

(e) If the execution of a scheme or artifice to defraud, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) results in a death which constitutes a second degree murder, as defined in § 189 of the Penal Code, the offense shall be punishable, upon conviction, pursuant to subdivision (a) of § 190 of the Penal Code.

(f) Any person, including an applicant or provider as defined in Section 14043.1, or billing agent, as defined in Section 14040.1, who has engaged in any of the activities subject to fine or imprisonment under this section, shall be subject to the asset forfeiture provisions for criminal profiteering.

(g) Pursuant to § 923 of the Penal Code, the Attorney General may convene a grand jury to investigate and indict for any of the activities subject to fine, imprisonment, or asset forfeiture under this section.

(h) The enforcement remedies provided under this section are not exclusive and shall not preclude the use of any other criminal or civil remedy. However, an act or omission punishable in different ways by this section and other provisions of law shall not be punished under more than one provision, but the penalty to be imposed shall be determined as set forth in § 654 of the Penal Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 322, Sec. 27. Effective January 1, 2001.)