(a) The State Director of Health Services may issue Medi-Cal cards to Medi-Cal fraud investigators for the purpose of conducting investigations of Medi-Cal fraud, or a violation of the Medical Practice Act as set forth in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code upon written request to the State Director of Health Services, or his or her designee, from the head of the requesting agency stating the purpose of the investigation. The request shall be based upon a specific complaint or information alleging Medi-Cal fraud. The request shall be based upon a specific complaint or information from an outside agency pursuant to its standard procedure for referring cases to another agency where there is suspicion of Medi-Cal fraud.

(b) (1) Upon a complaint by any individual alleging information creating a reasonable suspicion that any person is engaging in Medi-Cal fraud, the State Director of Health Services shall issue Medi-Cal cards for the purpose of conducting investigations of Medi-Cal fraud, or a violation of the Medical Practice Act as set forth in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, upon an order of a magistrate issued upon a showing of reasonable suspicion that the person being investigated has committed or is committing Medi-Cal fraud or a violation of the Medical Practice Act as set forth in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(2) For purposes of this section, “reasonable suspicion” means that a peace officer subjectively entertains such a suspicion and that it is objectively reasonable for him or her to do so. The facts shall be those that would cause any reasonable peace officer in a like position drawing when appropriate on his or her training and experience, to suspect the same criminal activity and the same involvement by the person in question. A showing of reasonable suspicion may be made either by written statement under penalty of perjury or by oral statement taken under oath, recorded and transcribed.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean that it is the exclusive method for conducting investigations for Medi-Cal fraud or for violations of the Medical Practice Act as set forth in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(d) The State Department of Health Services shall report to the Legislature every six months commencing June 1, 1981, on the utilization of Medi-Cal cards issued pursuant to this section. The report shall include, among other matters, a description of the types of criminal investigations conducted pursuant thereto.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 193, Sec. 238. Effective January 1, 2005.)