2C:21-4.7. Insurance Fraud Detection Reward Program

74. a. There is established within the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor an Insurance Fraud Detection Reward Program, to be funded from surcharges imposed pursuant to section 53 of P.L.2002, c.34 (C.17:33A-5.1) and supplemented as necessary and appropriate by amounts budgeted for the operation of the office.

b. A member of the public who has knowledge of or who believes that an act of health care claims fraud, insurance fraud or any other criminal offense involving or related to an insurance transaction is being or has been committed may provide the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor with a report or information pertinent to that knowledge or belief and may provide additional information that the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor requests.

c. The Insurance Fraud Prosecutor shall maintain a 24-hour toll-free insurance fraud hotline to receive information from members of the public who have knowledge of or who believe that an act of health care claims fraud, insurance fraud or any other criminal offense involving or related to an insurance transaction is being or has been committed.

d. The Attorney General, through the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, is authorized to pay a reward of up to $25,000 to persons providing information leading to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of persons or entities who have committed health care claims fraud, insurance fraud or any other criminal offense related to an insurance transaction. Only a single reward amount may be paid by the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor for claims arising out of the same transaction or occurrence, regardless of the number of persons arrested, prosecuted and convicted and regardless of the number of persons submitting claims for the reward. The reward may be divided and disbursed among more than one person in amounts determined by the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, in accordance with the provisions of this subsection. The decision of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor as to the person or persons entitled to the reward shall be final unless the reward recipients shall disagree, in which event, the matter shall be referred to the Attorney General whose decision shall be final and shall not be subject to judicial review.

e. Any person acting in good faith who provides information in accordance with subsection b. of this section shall have immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as a result of such act.

f. The Attorney General shall promulgate and adopt rules and regulations which set forth the reward program application and approval process, including the criteria against which claims shall be evaluated, the basis for determining specific reward amounts, and the manner of reward disbursement. Applications for rewards authorized by this section must be submitted in accordance with rules established by the Attorney General.

L.2003,c.89,s.74.