Number: RL32494
Title: Medicare: Physician Self-Referral ("Stark I and II")
Authors: Jennifer OSullivan, Domestic Social Policy Division 
Abstract: Congressional concern with the implications of self-referral arrangements led to the inclusion in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (OBRA 1989) of a provision barring self-referral arrangements for clinical laboratory services under the Medicare program. This provision, known as "Stark I" (after Congressman Pete Stark, the chief congressional sponsor), became effective January 1, 1992. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (OBRA 1993) extended the ban, effective January 1, 1995, to an additional list of services and applied it to Medicaid at the same time. The OBRA 1993 provision is referred to as "Stark II." The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, the agency that administers Medicare) has issued a series of implementing regulations. "Phase III" of the final regulations were issued September 5, 2007.
Pages: 38
Date: September 27, 2007