When a doctor refers a patient to a place that they or their family owns, they
are said to, "have a financial interest," and this
violates the law, but this is too narrow minded.
What if a practitioner sends
their patient to a place that they or their family owns
but it's because there is
no one else they trust or becuase the patient genuinely needs the referral
or because they have a genuine concern for them.
Every practitioner is accountable for
what happens to their patient so what would be wrong with referring them to their own clinic or their
relatives if this is someone they know and trust?
How can they create laws just assuming that every single practitioner is JUST trying to make money by
sending patients to their own relatives or their own clinic?
The stark law is written to make it so they can not send patients to these places
even if there are reasons OTHER THAN FINANCIAL GAIN.
How would they get around this legal restriction if they were genuinely afraid for their patients
to be seen by someone who they didn't know or didn't trust?
Nursing News