Ron, The way I understand this, the problem arose in situations where there was an outpatient therapy clinic in a particular location owned by therapists that was competing with an outpatient clinic owned by doctors. If you have an ortho doc who owns a therapy practice, he/she can refer to his own therapy clinic and run the other clinics out of town because they can't get any referrals. There is a potential conflict of interest when a doctor makes referrals within his/her own practice. On the other hand, I have worked with doctors who have been frustrated by their options for good therapy in their particular markets. Their frustration has lead them to the idea that if they employed the therapists, they could provide the therapists with the very best continuing education therefore tailoring the therapists knowledge to their particular patients needs. Some ortho docs prefer one specific protocol to hip rehab, hand rehab, etc. If the doctor can have some control over the therapist, they feel their patients will get the best possible rehab.
I really understand the reasons behind the Stark laws, however, in my particular case...I couldn't make a practice work without the support of the doctors. Jenny Daup Even though I'm in private practice, I really don't comprehend the factors involved in this situation. Perhaps someone will explain. Ron -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com ************************************************************************************** Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. www.otdegree.com/otn **************************************************************************************
