(a)
(1)Except as otherwise permitted by law, any person acting individually or through his or her employees or agents, who offers or delivers any rebate, refund, commission, preference, patronage, dividend, discount, or other consideration to any adjuster of claims for compensation, as defined in Section 3207, as compensation, inducement, or reward for the referral or settlement of any claim, is guilty of a felony.
(2)
Except as otherwise permitted by law, any
adjuster of claims for compensation, as defined in Section 3207, who accepts or receives any rebate, refund, commission, preference, patronage, dividend, discount, or other consideration, as compensation, inducement, or reward for the referral or settlement of any claim, is guilty of a felony.
(b)
Any contract for professional services secured by any medical clinic, laboratory, physician or other health care provider in this state in violation of Section 550 of the Penal Code, Section 1871.4 of the Insurance Code, Section 650 or 651 of the Business and Professions Code, or Section 3215 or subdivision (a) of Section 3219 of this code is void. In any action against any medical clinic, laboratory, physician, or other health care provider, or the owners or operators thereof, under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 17000) or Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17200) of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code, any judgment shall include an
order divesting the medical clinic, laboratory, physician, or other health care provider, and the owners and operators thereof, of any fees and other compensation received pursuant to any such void contract. Those fees and compensation shall be recoverable as additional civil penalties under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 17000) or Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17200) of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code. The judgment may also include an order prohibiting the person from further participating in any manner in the entity in which that person directly or indirectly owned or operated for a time period that the court deems appropriate. For the purpose of this section, “operated” means participated in the management, direction, or control of the entity.
(c)
Notwithstanding Section 17206 or any other provision of law, any fees recovered pursuant to subdivision (b) in an action involving professional services related to the
provision of workers’ compensation shall be allocated as follows: if the action is brought by the Attorney General, one-half of the penalty collected shall be paid to the State General Fund, and one-half of the penalty collected shall be paid to the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Account in the Insurance Fund; if the action is brought by a district attorney, one-half of the penalty collected shall be paid to the treasurer of the county in which the judgment was entered, and one-half of the penalty collected shall be paid to the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Account in the Insurance Fund; if the action is brought by a city attorney or city prosecutor, one-half of the penalty collected shall be paid to the treasurer of the city in which the judgment was entered, and one-half of the penalty collected shall be paid to the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Account in the Insurance Fund. Moneys deposited into the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Account pursuant to this subdivision shall be used in the investigation and
prosecution of workers’ compensation fraud, as appropriated by the Legislature.