The Ethics in Patient Referrals Act: “Stark Law” (Foundation)

This training introduces the Ethics in Patient Referrals Act, also known as The Physician Self-Referral Law or the Stark Law, first passed in 1989 and amended since, restricts self-dealing by physicians, and family members, who make medical referrals to entities in which the physician has a financial interest. One intent is to reduce Medicare fraud. Through referrals, a physician could order unnecessary procedures, set rates higher than the market, or take other steps that would unjustly benefit the physician at the expense of taxpayers and even patient healthcare.