Negotiation of Settlement in Stark Law Matter

Evolving and complex legislation in the health care arena can provide a myriad of challenges for providers, and overcoming the challenges requires effective and efficient legal counsel. We represented Ohio Hospital in negotiating a settlement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in a matter involving violations of the federal physician self-referral statute, more commonly referred to as the Stark Law. Our client disclosed that some of their arrangements with physicians for electrocardiogram interpretation, medical director services, vice chief of staff services, and hospital services violated Stark Law because they did not meet the requirements of applicable exceptions. We entered into negotiations with CMS, and ultimately settled for an amount that was agreeable to our client.