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Group Exception to Kickback Prohibition Under State Law

By Michael H. Cohen, Esq.

Health care entities and providers should know that New York has a "group" exception to its statutory anti-kickback provisions.

New York's Complex Prohibitions Against Fee-Splitting, Kickbacks, & Self-Referral

 

            New York law actually contains three different legal rules prohibiting fee-splitting, kickbacks, and self-referral. This article describes the one contained in Section 6509-a of the NYS Education Law.

            Within Title VIII, the general provisions of Article 130 are applicable to all the health care professions. (See NYS Health Care Provider Licensing Laws Spell Out Who Can Practice).

            Subarticle 1 deals with licensing; subarticle 2 with regulatory responsibilities of the Board of Regents, the Education Department, and state boards for the professions; subarticle 3 with Professional Misconduct; and subarticle 4 with unauthorized practice (including aiding and abetting) and penalties. Subarticle 3 (Section 6509 of NYS Education Law) contains a list of activities that constitute professional misconduct, including such conduct as:

...         Practicing the profession fraudulently, beyond its authorized scope, with gross incompetence, with gross negligence on a particular occasion or negligence or incompetence on more than one occasion.[1]

...         Permitting, aiding or abetting an unlicensed person to perform activities requiring a license.^[2]

...         Committing unprofessional conduct, as defined by the Board of Regents in its rules.[3]

                       Within Subarticle 3, Section 6509-a of NYS Education Law contains the following additional definition of professional misconduct:

That any person subject to the above enumerated articles, has directly or indirectly requested, received or participated in the division, transference, assignment, rebate, splitting or refunding of a fee for, or has directly requested, received or profited by means of a credit or other valuable consideration as a commission, discount or gratuity in connection with the furnishing of professional care, or service, including x-ray examination and treatment, or for or in connection with the sale, rental, supplying or furnishing of clinical laboratory services or supplies, x-ray laboratory services or supplies, inhalation therapy service or equipment, ambulance service, hospital or medical supplies, physiotherapy or other therapeutic service or equipment, artificial limbs, teeth or eyes, orthopedic or surgical appliances or supplies, optical appliances, supplies or equipment, devices for aid of hearing, drugs, medication or medical supplies or any other goods, services or supplies prescribed for medical diagnosis, care or treatment under this chapter, except payment, not to exceed thirty-three and one-third per centum of any fee received for x-ray examination, diagnosis or treatment, to any hospital furnishing facilities for such examination, diagnosis or treatment. (bold added for emphasis)

             'Groups' Exception

The definition in Section 6509-a continues with an exception:

Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit such persons from practicing as partners, in groups or as a professional corporation or as a university faculty practice corporation nor from pooling fees and moneys received, either by the partnerships, professional corporations, university faculty practice corporations or groups by the individual members thereof, for professional services furnished by any individual professional member, or employee of such partnership, corporation or group, nor shall the professionals constituting the partnerships, corporations or groups be prohibited from sharing, dividing or apportioning the fees and moneys received by them or by the partnership, corporation or group in accordance with a partnership or other agreement; provided that no such practice as partners, corporations or in groups or pooling of fees or moneys received or shared, division or apportionment of fees shall be permitted with respect to care and treatment under the workers' compensation law except as expressly authorized by the workers' compensation law.[4] (bold added for emphasis)

            The additional definition of professional misconduct in Section 6509-a states that it applies to persons licensed under articles 132 (chiropractic), 133 (dentistry, dental hygiene, and certified dental assisting), 136 (physical therapy and physical therapy assistants), 137 (pharmacy), 139 (nursing), 140 (professional midwifery), 143 (optometry), 144 (ophthalmic dispensing), 156 (occupational therapy), 159 (speech-language pathologists and audiologists), and 164 (respiratory therapists).[5] 

Notably, certain professions are not on this list (for example, medicine and acupuncture), but there still could be fee-splitting provisions in the licensing laws governing these professions. 

            Further, the Rules of the Board of Regents would likely govern these prohibitions. 

***
If you have legal questions concerning self-referral, kickbacks and fee-splitting or patient brokering in New York, California, Massachusetts, Washington DC, and other states, contact a lawyer who knows the referral rules.

Consult an experienced health care law attorney who knows complementary medicine and integrative medicine for legal advice pertaining to any project involving allied health or CAM professionals.

***

Michael H. Cohen is an attorney providing business legal advice to green entrepreneurs and companies, and health care law advice to businesses and physicians, acupuncturists, naturopaths, homeopaths and others in the holistic health, wellness, and green industries. He works with telemedicine and other cutting-edge technologies and gives clear legal advice to grow your business.

As a founding attorney of the Global Vision Law Group, he represents businesses poised for vertical lift, whose leaders are conscious, intuitive, and committed to shaping a better world. Michael also advises medical spas and integrative medicine clinics, physicians, chiropractors, naturopathic physicians, massage therapists, energy healers, nutritionists and herbalists, dietary supplement and cosmetics companies, and businesses with bio-energy and other technologies and medical devices. The website also offers the Entrepreneur's Legal Toolkit as a series of legal guides to businesses.

Read reviews of Mr. Cohen's work on the Complementary Complementary and Alternative Medicine Law Blog. And visit the Legal Services page for information on legal services where a  flat rate or project fee can be discussed (such as incorporation for entrepreneurs, review and drafting of business contracts, trademark, and health law services for CAM providers and others).

Our healthcare law and business law firm also provides special expertise to attorneys and law firms whose clients are involved in wellness industry projects or who require guidance regarding fee-splitting, Stark, anti-kickback, medical board discipline, and other health law and regulatory compliance issues.

To speak with a lawyer about health care law issues pertaining to complementary and alternative medicine, or to consult a business lawyer about laws and legal issues for entrepreneurs and new enterprises that are seeking legal advice, contact the Global Vision Law Group today. 

 

Full post as published by Complementary And Alternative Medicine Law Blog on September 12, 2010 (boomark / email).