42 C.F.R. § 1001.401 Conviction relating to controlled substances.
Title 42 - Public Health
(a) Circumstance for exclusion. The OIG may exclude an individual or entity convicted under Federal or State law of a misdemeanor relating to the unlawful manufacture, distribution, prescription or dispensing of a controlled substance, as defined under Federal or State law. This section applies to any individual or entity that— (1) Is, or has ever been, a health care practitioner, provider or supplier; (2) Holds or has held a direct or indirect ownership or control interest, as defined in section 1124(a)(3) of the Act, in an entity that is a health care provider or supplier, or is or has been an officer, director, agent or managing employee, as defined in section 1126(b) of the Act, of such an entity; or (3) Is, or has ever been, employed in any capacity in the health care industry. (b) For purposes of this section, the definition of controlled substance will be the definition that applies to the law forming the basis for the conviction. (c) Length of exclusion. (1) An exclusion imposed in accordance with this section will be for a period of 3 years, unless aggravating or mitigating factors listed in paragraphs (b)(2) and (b)(3) of this section form a basis for lengthening or shortening that period. (2) Any of the following factors may be considered to be aggravating and a basis for lengthening the period of exclusion— (i) The acts that resulted in the conviction or similar acts were committed over a period of one year or more; (ii) The acts that resulted in the conviction or similar acts had a significant adverse mental, physical or financial impact on program beneficiaries or other individuals or the Medicare, Medicaid or other Federal health care programs; (iii) The sentence imposed by the court included incarceration; (iv) Whether the individual or entity has a documented history of criminal, civil or administrative wrongdoing; or (v) Whether the individual or entity was convicted of other offenses besides those which formed the basis for the exclusion, or has been the subject of any other adverse action by any other Federal, State or local government agency or board, if the adverse action is based on the same set of circumstances that serves as the basis for the imposition of the exclusion. (3) Only the following factors may be considered as mitigating and a basis for shortening the period of exclusion— (i) The individual's or entity's cooperation with Federal or State officials resulted in— (A) Others being convicted or excluded from Medicare, Medicaid and all other Federal health care programs, (B) Additional cases being investigated or reports being issued by the appropriate law enforcement agency identifying program vulnerabilities or weaknesses, or (C) The imposition of a civil money penalty against others; or (ii) Alternative sources of the type of health care items or services furnished by the individual or entity are not available. [57 FR 3330, Jan. 29, 1992, as amended at 63 FR 46687, Sept. 2, 1998; 64 FR 39426, July 22, 1999]
Title 42: Public Health
PART 1001—PROGRAM INTEGRITY—MEDICARE AND STATE HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS
Subpart C—Permissive Exclusions
§ 1001.401 Conviction relating to controlled substances.
