Dive Brief:
- CMS has proposed new changes to the Stark law, which could ease technical burdens on physicians.
- The new regulations would allow for two exceptions to the law: one to allow payments to physicians to employ non-physician providers; the other to allow timeshare arrangements for office space, equipment, personnal supplies and other services that would benefit underserved populations.
- The proposed changes are part of a draft update to the 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
Dive Insight:
Danielle Sloane, a member of the law firm Bass Berry & Sims in Nashville, told Modern Healthcare that the proposed regulations were "positive overall." The Stark law, which prohibits physician referrals that would result in governement reimbursement to entities in which physicians have financial interests, has long been criticized for its comlexity.
"By in large, it makes significant changes and clarifications aimed at easing the technical burdens of the Stark law and reducing the number of self-disclosures coming to the CMS," Sloane said. "It seems to be trying to update the Stark law for the new relationships that are out there."