Strengthen Medicaid Provider Controls.

Removed all provisions related to increasing criminal penalties for the larceny of mail.

Added a new centralized 'Provider Enrollment Credentialing Committee' to adjudicate provider participation and issue determinations on enrollment or termination.

Added requirements for the Department to deny or terminate provider licenses retroactively if a licensing entity imposes adverse actions like scope restrictions.

Added a new section protecting specific provider information, such as mental health records and adverse licensure findings, from public disclosure.

Added stricter eligibility criteria requiring denial of enrollment if a provider owner has a criminal conviction related to Medicare or Medicaid within the last 10 years.

Changed the effective date from December 1, 2025, to October 1, 2026, for the new licensure limitation checks.

The definition of 'mail' was expanded to explicitly include items sent via common carriers, commercial delivery services, or private delivery methods.

The core provision was changed from creating a new crime to requiring that all larceny of mail convictions be sentenced at one class level higher than the principal offense.

The specific details regarding misdemeanor and felony classifications for first, second, and subsequent offenses were removed, as the new rule applies a uniform sentencing enhancement regardless of prior offense count.

The bill title was updated from 'Establish Larceny of Mail Offense' to 'Increase the Punishment for Larceny of Mail' to reflect the substantive change in the law.

All text regarding Medicaid provider termination grounds, including specific actions like falsifying medical records and failure to repay overpayments, was deleted.

A new definition of 'mail' was added to include letters, packages, bags, or items of value sent or delivered to another.

New criminal penalties were established, ranging from a Class A1 misdemeanor for first offenses under $200 to a Class D felony for third offenses or values over $2,000.

The bill was assigned a new session date (2025) and an effective date of December 1, 2025, replacing the previous 2026 date.

Formatting elements specific to the amendment process, such as the amendment number line and signatures for the Principal Clerk and Committee Chair, were removed.

Deleted the phrase 'Termination for cause' as a standalone requirement.

Added specific grounds for adverse termination, including submitting false service claims, falsifying medical records, and failing to repay overpayments exceeding $1,500.

Expanded eligibility by inserting the phrase 'lawfully present' to include more individuals under specific provisions.