Anticompetitive State and Federal Laws

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Aether2000

algosdoc
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The Stark laws apply to physicians and chiropractors, but not to nurses, NPs, or CRNAs according to the final definitions under Stark I. For example, a CRNA may buy a surgery center or radiology center and not be subject to any of the regulations that affect physicians as long as the CRNA is independent and not billing through a physician. With the increased number of NPs and CRNAs that are practicing independently, this anticompetitive situation is a legal loophole that prevents CRNAs and NPs to profit from activities that are illegal for physicians. State laws also exempt NPs and CRNAs that are independent of physicians. In some states, independent NPs are completely exempted from opioid prescribing laws and rules that affect physicians.

As these issues become more acute when CRNAs and NPs are permitted to freely violate laws that encumber physicians, it is increasingly important to consider legal and legislative remedies.
Legal remedies include litigation against surgery centers owned by CRNAs for violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, litigation against the CRNAs and NPs themselves, and injunctive relief. Legislative remedies include petitioning your representatives to enact laws to prevent such perversion of the playing fields, and to counteract the financial and legal advantages held by non-physicians.

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It's the new paradigm, algos, get with the program.

Nowadays, if you want to be rich and live well , don't go looking to marry a doctor like our mothers did.

Marry a CRNA/NP....
 
lol....yes, I am definitely behind the times. I am receiving information that "Pain CRNAs" are buying ASCs and then self referring pain patients there for their own injections and also directly taking patients from other doctors. Stark doesn't apply to them. It should.
 
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