Physician Self-Referral Prohibition (Stark) and False Claims Act, Civil Monetary Penalties, and Compliance Plans

Summary

This practice note discusses the principal methods used by the federal government to police overutilization and fraud in the Medicare/Medicaid programs and the statutory penalties for Medicare/Medicaid fraud. It also explains the essential elements of fraud and abuse compliance plans and provides guidance on implementing compliance plans to prevent violations and serve as good faith defenses to prosecutions.