(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly offers to pay or agrees to accept, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly any remuneration in cash or in kind or any benefit or commission to or from another for securing or soliciting a patient or patronage for or from a person licensed, certified, or registered by a state health care regulatory agency.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
(c) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the person:
(1) has previously been convicted of an offense under this section; or
(2) was employed by a federal, state, or local government at the time of the offense.