The Maryland Board of Physicians has fully implemented a ban on physicians referring patients for treatment on MRI or CT machines in which the physicians have a financial interest, according to an Insurance News Net report.
The ban follows a legal battle beginning in 2006 and ending with a confirmation of the self-referral law in January. The Maryland Patient Self-Referral Law, which prohibits self-referrals of this kind, was passed in 1993 but was not really enforced until a 2006 interpretation from the Maryland Board of Physicians, which led to a lawsuit with Potomac Valley Orthopedic Associates. A Baltimore City Circuit Court ruled against the board, judging it had misinterpreted the self-referral law, but this decision was overturned by the Court of Appeals in January.
This year the Board of Physicians investigated 144 physicians who potentially violated the self-referral law, and found 30 of these physicians had a financial interest in an MRI or CT scan business. These physicians were notified in April that they had 90 days to comply with the law.
Many Maryland physicians still oppose the self-referral law, claiming it is outdated and may discourage new physicians from working in the state.
Physicians More Likely to Order Stress Tests When They Own Equipment
8 Legal Considerations for Establishing or Expanding a Hospital Radiation Oncology Program
The ban follows a legal battle beginning in 2006 and ending with a confirmation of the self-referral law in January. The Maryland Patient Self-Referral Law, which prohibits self-referrals of this kind, was passed in 1993 but was not really enforced until a 2006 interpretation from the Maryland Board of Physicians, which led to a lawsuit with Potomac Valley Orthopedic Associates. A Baltimore City Circuit Court ruled against the board, judging it had misinterpreted the self-referral law, but this decision was overturned by the Court of Appeals in January.
This year the Board of Physicians investigated 144 physicians who potentially violated the self-referral law, and found 30 of these physicians had a financial interest in an MRI or CT scan business. These physicians were notified in April that they had 90 days to comply with the law.
Many Maryland physicians still oppose the self-referral law, claiming it is outdated and may discourage new physicians from working in the state.
Related Articles on Imaging Self-Referrals:
Study: Imaging Self-Referrals Associated With More Unnecessary ScansPhysicians More Likely to Order Stress Tests When They Own Equipment
8 Legal Considerations for Establishing or Expanding a Hospital Radiation Oncology Program