(a) The Unit must be separate and distinct from the Medicaid agency.

(b) No official of the Medicaid agency will have authority to review the activities of the Unit or to review or overrule the referral of a suspected criminal violation to an appropriate prosecuting authority.

(c) The Unit will not receive funds paid under this part either from or through the Medicaid agency.

(d) The Unit must enter into a written agreement with the Medicaid agency under which:

(1) The Medicaid agency will agree to comply with all requirements of §455.21(a) of this title;

(2) The Unit will agree to comply with the requirements of §1007.11(c) of this title; and

(3) The Medicaid agency and the Unit will agree to:

(i) Establish a practice of regular meetings or communication between the two entities;

(ii) Establish procedures for how they will coordinate their efforts;

(iii) Establish procedures for §§1007.9(e) through 1007.9(h) of this title;

(iv) Establish procedures by which the Unit will receive referrals of potential fraud from managed care organizations, if applicable, either directly or through the Medicaid agency, as required at §438.608(a)(7) of this title; and

(v) Review and, as necessary, update the agreement no less frequently than every five (5) years to ensure that the agreement reflects current law and practice.

(e)

(1) The Unit may refer any provider with respect to which there is pending an investigation of a credible allegation of fraud under the Medicaid program to the Medicaid agency for payment suspension in whole or part under §455.23 of this title.

(2) Referrals may be brief but must be in writing and include sufficient information to allow the Medicaid agency to identify the provider and to explain the credible allegations forming the grounds for the payment suspension.

(f) Any request by the Unit to the Medicaid agency to delay notification to the provider of a payment suspension under §455.23 of this title must be made promptly in writing.

(g) The Unit should reach a decision on whether to accept a case referred by the Medicaid agency in a timely fashion. When the Unit accepts or declines a case referred by the Medicaid agency, the Unit promptly notifies the Medicaid agency in writing of the acceptance or declination of the case.

(h) Upon request from the Medicaid agency on a quarterly basis under §455.23(d)(3)(ii), the Unit will certify that any matter accepted on the basis of a referral continues to be under investigation, thus warranting continuation of the payment suspension.