Comparison Chart of Anti-Kickback Safe Harbors and Stark Exceptions -- Assistance to Compensate a Nonphysician Practitioner

Stark
Stark exception to the referral prohibition related to compensation arrangements for assistance to compensate a nonphysician practitioner  42 CFR 411.357(x)

Anti-Kickback
 

Remuneration provided by a hospital to a physician to compensate a nonphysician practitioner to provide NPP patient care services.

The arrangement is set out in writing and signed by the hospital, the physician, and the nonphysician practitioner and commences before the physician (or physician organization in whose shoes the physician stands) enters into the compensation arrangement with the nonphysician practitioner.

The arrangement is not conditioned on the physician's referrals to the hospital or the nonphysician practitioner’s NPP referrals to the hospital.

The remuneration from the hospital--

(A) Does not exceed 50 percent of the actual compensation, signing bonus, and benefits paid by the physician to the nonphysician practitioner during a period not to exceed the first 2 consecutive years of the compensation arrangement between the nonphysician practitioner and the physician (or the physician organization in whose shoes the physician stands); and

(B) Is not determined in any manner that takes into account the volume or value of actual or anticipated referrals by the physician (or any physician in the physician's practice) or other business generated between the parties; or the NPP referrals by the nonphysician practitioner (or any nonphysician practitioner in the physician's practice) or other business generated between the parties.

The compensation, signing bonus, and benefits paid to the nonphysician practitioner by the physician does not exceed fair market value for the NPP patient care services furnished by the nonphysician practitioner to patients of the physician's practice.

The nonphysician practitioner has not, within 1 year of the commencement of his or her compensation arrangement with the physician (or the physician organization in whose shoes the physician stands) furnished NPP patient care services in the geographic area served by the hospital; or been employed or otherwise engaged to provide NPP patient care services by a physician or a physician organization that has a medical practice site located in the geographic area served by the hospital, regardless of whether the nonphysician practitioner furnished NPP patient care services at the medical practice site located in the geographic area served by the hospital.

The nonphysician practitioner has a compensation arrangement directly with the physician or the physician organization in whose shoes the physician stands and substantially all of the NPP patient care services that the nonphysician practitioner furnishes to patients of the physician's practice are primary care services or mental health care services.

The physician does not impose practice restrictions on the nonphysician practitioner that unreasonably restrict the nonphysician practitioner's ability to provide NPP patient care services in the geographic area served by the hospital.

Records of the actual amount of remuneration provided by the hospital to the physician, and by the physician to the nonphysician practitioner, must be maintained for a period of at least 6 years and made available to the Secretary upon request.

This exception may be used by a hospital, federally qualified health center, or rural health clinic only once every 3 years with respect to the same referring physician.

This limitation does not apply to remuneration provided by a hospital, federally qualified health center, or rural health clinic to a physician to compensate a nonphysician practitioner to provide NPP patient care services if the nonphysician practitioner is replacing a nonphysician practitioner who terminated his or her employment or contractual arrangement to provide patient care services with the physician (or the physician organization in whose shoes the physician stands) within 1 year of the commencement of the employment or contractual arrangement; and the remuneration provided to the physician is provided during a period that does not exceed 2 consecutive years as measured from the commencement of the compensation arrangement between the nonphysician practitioner who is being replaced and the physician (or the physician organization in whose shoes the physician stands).

This exception applies to remuneration provided by a federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic in the same manner as it applies to remuneration provided by a hospital. The geographic area served by a federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic has the meaning as found in the physician recruitment exception.

NPP patient care services are direct patient care services furnished by a nonphysician practitioner that address the medical needs of specific patients or any task performed by a nonphysician practitioner that promotes the care of patients of the physician or physician organization with which the nonphysician practitioner has a compensation arrangement.

A NPP referral is a request by a nonphysician practitioner that includes the provision of any designated health service for which payment may be made under Medicare, the establishment of any plan of care by a nonphysician practitioner that includes the provision of such a designated health service, or the certifying or recertifying of the need for such a designated health service, but does not include any designated health service personally performed or provided by the nonphysician practitioner.