OIG: Physician payments must reflect fair market value

In its most recent in a series of warnings addressing physician issues, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a new fraud alert this month regarding physician compensation arrangements that could violate anti-kickback regulations if payments do not reflect fair market value. In particular, the OIG cites issues tied to medical directorships that pay for services a physician did not actually provide. In addition to payments that go above fair market value, compensation arrangements that account for the volume or value of referrals could be considered anti-kickback violations. The OIG intends to direct investigative resources towards individual physicians under its Civil Monetary Penalties Law, Tony Maida, a partner at McDermott Will & Emory LLP, wrote in a recent blog post. With a larger budget and more attorneys, it's likely that physicians will face more scrutiny regarding payments and referrals. Read the full article from FierceHealthPayer.