Relaxed Doctor Referral Rules Could Clash With Anti-Kickback Law

A Trump administration policy waiving penalties for violations of a health-care anti-corruption law may not provide the blanket protection that its name suggests.

Eighteen types of patient referrals and provider financial arrangements are now protected from sanctions through “blanket waivers” issued under the Stark law, which generally prohibits doctors from referring Medicare patients to other health-care providers with whom they have a financial relationship.

But some providers that use the waivers’ regulatory flexibility to help fight the coronavirus pandemic will still have to ensure compliance with the federal anti-kickback statute.

The HHS Office of Inspector General says seven ...