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There are several exceptions to the Ethics in Patient Referrals Act and its amendments (the Stark laws), which prohibit a physician from referring Medicare or Medicaid patients for certain designated services or supplies provided by entities in which the physician has a financial interest. Consider whether the situations described below qualify as exceptions to the Stark laws:
Situation A: Dr. Wong is a physician in the Marvel Health Plan's provider network and has a financial relationship with Marvel arising from the health plan's compensation for his services. Marvel is not a prepaid health plan.
Situation B: Dr. Ryder is a physician in the provider network of the Glen Health Plan, which is not a prepaid health plan. In situations of medical necessity, Dr. Ryder refers Glen patients to a physical therapy clinic that leases office space from him.
Situation C: Dr. Yost has a compensation arrangement with a health plan for providing health services under the Medicare+Choice program.
An arrangement that is exempt from the Stark laws is described in