Watch your contracts in the wake of 'final' Stark rules

Nearly one year has passed since the final phase of the Stark II law became effective, yet practice administrators, healthcare attorneys, and consultants are still mulling the implications. (For background on the law, which addresses financial relationships between physicians and the hospitals to which they refer Medicare patients, and to view FAQs, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/PhysicianSelfReferral.)

CMS did not create new exceptions in the final rule but did make certain refinements that could permit or, in some cases, require restructuring of some existing arrangements.