Dive Brief:
- A group of more than 50 hospitals is participating in a coalition that has come together to push for an amendment to the Stark Law.
- The bill backed by the Stark Law Correction Coalition would limit the monetary penalty health care providers would pay for committing a technical violation of the law. It would also provide an expedited review process by CMS for self-disclosed technical violations.
- Participants in the coalition believe the Stark Law serves a valid purpose, but that the public interest isn't served when providers pay large penalties for technical violations that don't involve fraud, according to an attorney with a law firm that's part of the coalition.
Dive Insight:
Participants in the coalition want to simplify what happens when a provider is in violation of the Stark Law but hasn't committed fraud. For example, the coalition argues that there needs to be a fixed payment for technical disclosures, similar to a speeding ticket, according to Becker's Hospital Review. The bottom line, coalition members argue, is that it's important to free up CMS's resources to pursue instances of fraud that actually harm the Medicare program.