2014 Arkansas Code
Title 20 - Public Health And Welfare
Subtitle 5 - Social Services
Chapter 77 - Medical Assistance
Subchapter 9 - Medicaid Fraud False Claims Act
§ 20-77-903 - Civil penalties.

(a) (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to commit any act proscribed by § 20-77-902, and any person found to have committed any such act or acts shall be deemed liable to the State of Arkansas, through the Attorney General, for full restitution and for a civil penalty of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) and not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each violation, plus three (3) times the amount of all payments judicially found to have been fraudulently received from the Arkansas Medicaid Program or its fiscal agents because of the act of that person, except that if the court finds the following:

(A) The person committing the violation of this subchapter furnished officials of the Attorney General's office with all information known to the person about the violation within thirty (30) days after the date on which the defendant first obtained the information; and

(B) The person fully cooperated with any Attorney General's investigation of the violation, and at the time the person furnished the Attorney General with the information about the violation:

(i) No criminal prosecution, civil action, or administrative action had commenced under this subchapter with respect to the violation; and

(ii) The person did not have actual knowledge of the existence of an investigation into the violation.

(2) The court may assess not more than two (2) times the amount of damages which the state sustained because of the act of the person.

(b) In addition to any other penalties authorized herein, any person violating this subchapter shall also be liable to the State of Arkansas for the Attorney General's reasonable expenses, including the cost of investigation, attorney's fees, court costs, witness fees, and deposition fees.

(c) The entirety of any penalty less any reward which may be determined by the court pursuant to this subchapter shall be credited as special revenues of the State of Arkansas and deposited into the Arkansas Medicaid Program Trust Fund for the sole use of the program.

(d) For actions under this subchapter, the following shall apply:

(1) To enable the court to properly fix the amount of restitution, the Attorney General shall, after appropriate investigation, recommend an amount that would make the victim whole with respect to the money fraudulently received from the program or its fiscal agents, the expense of investigation, and all other measurable monetary damages directly related to the cause of action; and

(2) If the defendant disagrees with the recommendation of the Attorney General, he or she shall be entitled to introduce evidence in mitigation of the amount recommended.

(e) For actions under this subchapter, whether tried by the court or the jury, the restitution and penalty shall be fixed by the court.