3219
. (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.