(January 26, 2021): Under the Anti-Kickback Statute (Anti-Kickback Statute), what constitutes a referral? Notably, neither the term referral nor the term referring (as it is referred to in the law) are defined in the statute. While you may be tempted to argue that a referral only occurs when one party refers a beneficiary to another party for services or supplies that may be covered by a Federal health care provider, a Seventh Circuit case shows how broad this term is likely to be interpreted by the courts.
At the outset, it is important to keep in mind that the Anti-Kickback Statute is a criminal statute. The statute makes it a crime to exchange (or offer to exchange), anything of value, in an effort to induce (or reward) the referral of Federal health care program business. See 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b. Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute can result in fines of up to $100,000 and imprisonment for up to ten years. Under the Anti-Kickback Statute, a health care provider may be liable if he or she is found to be:
(b) Illegal remunerations
(1) Whoever knowingly and willfully solicits or receives any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or rebate) directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind—
(A) in return for referring an individual to a person for the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of any item or service for which payment may be made in whole or in part under a Federal health care program, or
(B) in return for purchasing, leasing, ordering, or arranging for or recommending purchasing, leasing, or ordering any good, facility, service, or item for which payment may be made in whole or in part under a Federal health care program [1] , shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both [2] .
(2) Whoever knowingly and willfully offers or pays any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or rebate) directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind to any personrefer an individual to a person for the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of any item or service for which payment may be made in whole or in part under a Federal health care program, or
(B) to purchase, lease, order, or arrange for or recommend purchasing, leasing, or ordering any good, facility, service, or item for which payment may be made in whole or in part under a Federal health care program, shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.
(h) Actual knowledge or specific intent not required
With respect to violations of this section, a person need not have actual knowledge of this section or specific intent to commit a violation of this section. (emphasis added). [1]
A recent decision issued by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has provided a comprehensive analysis as to what it believes may constitutes a referral under the Anti-Kickback Statute. In the case, United States vs. Kamal Patel, a Chicago area doctor was found to be in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute because he allegedly referred one of his patients to a home health care provider in return for a monetary payment. The Patel case has important implications for physicians and other health care providers who wish to avoid liability under the Anti-Kickback Statute and, possibly in turn, under the False Claims Act.
Dr. Patel practiced internal medicine and provided services for elderly patients. He prescribed home health care services to about ten patients per month. 95% of Dr. Patel’s patients were Medicare beneficiaries. The home health care provider, Grand Home Health Care (Grand), was among several providers available to Dr. Patel’s patients. After experiencing a decline in its patients, the owners of Grand met with Dr. Patel and offered to pay Dr. Patel for referrals on a per-patient basis. Grand started to provide services for 2 to 4 of Dr. Patel’s patients per month. After the patients selected Grand as the home health care provider, Grand was required to obtain Dr. Patel’s certification and recertification on the Medicare Form 485 for payment under Medicare. Grand would pay Dr. Patel $400 for each certification and $300 for each re-certification.
Importantly, Dr. Patel was not involved in the selection of Grand by his patients. The patients chose Grand among a number of choices given to them by Dr. Patel’s assistant. Moreover, Dr. Patel did not discuss the selection with the patients or their family members. Grand, however, could not be paid and reimbursed under Medicare without Dr. Patel signing the Form 785 certification form which stated that the home health care was medically necessary. Dr. Patel would also sign the re-certification form if home health care and treatment lasted longer than 60 days. Grand paid Dr. Patel $300 for each certification form, and $400 for each re-certification form signed. The certification form also stated that Dr. Patel “authorized” the services.
Dr. Patel was subsequently investigated and prosecuted under the Anti-Kickback Statute for referring patients to Grand in return for monetary payments. Dr. Patel argued that he had not referred his patients because the patients selected Grand without input or recommendation from him. The Court disagreed. The Court found that a broader definition of referring is mandated in order to promote the central purpose of the Anti-Kickback Statute to prevent Medicare and Medicaid fraud and to “protect doctors whose medical judgments might be clouded by improper financial considerations.”
The Court therefore concluded that the term referring under the Anti-Kickback Statute not only addresses an action by a physician in recommending home care services but also in authorizing such services. The Court found that the danger of fraud in the certification process is quite clear because a physician could refuse to certify the provider thereby increasing the cost of care and impeding the selection process of the patient. Also, the Court found that the doctor would have an improper incentive to certify or re-certify a provider when the care is not necessary or the services of the provider are not competent. Ultimately, the Court found that Dr. Patel acted as a financial gatekeeper to the patient selecting the provider of choice, making the patient’s independent choices at the outset meaningless if Dr. Patel did not provide certifications.
