(1) As used in this section, the term “kickback” means a remuneration or payment, by or on behalf of a provider of health care services or items, to any person as an incentive or inducement to refer patients for past or future services or items, when the payment is not tax deductible as an ordinary and necessary expense.
(2) It is unlawful for any health care provider or any provider of health care services to offer, pay, solicit, or receive a kickback, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, for referring or soliciting patients.
(3)(a) It is unlawful for any person or any entity to pay or receive, directly or indirectly, a commission, bonus, kickback, or rebate from, or to engage in any form of a split-fee arrangement with, a dialysis facility, health care practitioner, surgeon, person, or entity for referring patients to a clinical laboratory as defined in s. 483.803.
(b) It is unlawful for any clinical laboratory to:
1. Provide personnel to perform any functions or duties in a health care practitioner’s office or dialysis facility for any purpose, including for the collection or handling of specimens, directly or indirectly through an employee, contractor, independent staffing company, lease agreement, or otherwise, unless the laboratory and the practitioner’s office, or dialysis facility, are wholly owned and operated by the same entity.
2. Lease space within any part of a health care practitioner’s office or dialysis facility for any purpose, including for the purpose of establishing a collection station where materials or specimens are collected or drawn from patients.
(4) Violations of this section shall be considered patient brokering and shall be punishable as provided in s. 817.505.
History.—s. 8, ch. 92-178; s. 2, ch. 96-152; s. 79, ch. 97-261; s. 8, ch. 99-204; s. 78, ch. 2000-160; s. 6, ch. 2006-305; s. 91, ch. 2018-24.
Note.—Former s. 455.237; s. 455.657.
Structure Florida Statutes
Title XXXII - Regulation of Professions and Occupations
Chapter 456 - Health Professions and Occupations: General Provisions
456.003 - Legislative Intent; Requirements.
456.004 - Department; Powers and Duties.
456.005 - Long-Range Policy Planning.
456.006 - Contacting Boards Through Department.
456.008 - Accountability and Liability of Board Members.
456.009 - Legal and Investigative Services.
456.011 - Boards; Organization; Meetings; Compensation and Travel Expenses.
456.012 - Board Rules; Final Agency Action; Challenges.
456.013 - Department; General Licensing Provisions.
456.0135 - General Background Screening Provisions.
456.016 - Use of Professional Testing Services.
456.018 - Penalty for Theft or Reproduction of an Examination.
456.019 - Restriction on Requirement of Citizenship.
456.022 - Foreign-Trained Professionals; Special Examination and License Provisions.
456.023 - Exemption for Certain Out-of-State or Foreign Professionals; Limited Practice Permitted.
456.0241 - Temporary Certificate for Active Duty Military Health Care Practitioners.
456.025 - Fees; Receipts; Disposition.
456.027 - Education; Accreditation.
456.029 - Education; Substituting Demonstration of Competency for Clock-Hour Requirements.
456.0301 - Requirement for Instruction on Controlled Substance Prescribing.
456.031 - Requirement for Instruction on Domestic Violence.
456.032 - Hepatitis B or HIV Carriers.
456.033 - Requirement for Instruction for Certain Licensees on HIV and Aids.
456.0341 - Requirements for Instruction on Human Trafficking.
456.036 - Licenses; Active and Inactive Status; Delinquency.
456.0361 - Compliance With Continuing Education Requirements.
456.038 - Renewal and Cancellation Notices.
456.039 - Designated Health Care Professionals; Information Required for Licensure.
456.0391 - Advanced Practice Registered Nurses; Information Required for Licensure.
456.0392 - Prescription Labeling.
456.041 - Practitioner Profile; Creation.
456.042 - Practitioner Profiles; Update.
456.043 - Practitioner Profiles; Data Storage.
456.044 - Practitioner Profiles; Rules; Workshops.
456.045 - Practitioner Profiles; Maintenance of Superseded Information.
456.046 - Practitioner Profiles; Confidentiality.
456.048 - Financial Responsibility Requirements for Certain Health Care Practitioners.
456.049 - Health Care Practitioners; Reports on Professional Liability Claims and Actions.
456.0495 - Reporting Adverse Incidents Occurring in Planned Out-of-Hospital Births.
456.052 - Disclosure of Financial Interest by Production.
456.054 - Kickbacks Prohibited.
456.055 - Chiropractic and Podiatric Health Care; Denial of Payment; Limitation.
456.056 - Treatment of Medicare Beneficiaries; Refusal, Emergencies, Consulting Physicians.
456.0575 - Duty to Notify Patients.
456.059 - Communications Confidential; Exceptions.
456.063 - Sexual Misconduct; Disqualification for License, Certificate, or Registration.
456.0635 - Health Care Fraud; Disqualification for License, Certificate, or Registration.
456.066 - Prosecution of Criminal Violations.
456.067 - Penalty for Giving False Information.
456.068 - Toll-Free Telephone Number for Reporting of Complaints.
456.069 - Authority to Inspect.
456.071 - Power to Administer Oaths, Take Depositions, and Issue Subpoenas.
456.072 - Grounds for Discipline; Penalties; Enforcement.
456.073 - Disciplinary Proceedings.
456.074 - Certain Health Care Practitioners; Immediate Suspension of License.
456.075 - Criminal Proceedings Against Licensees; Appearances by Department Representatives.
456.076 - Impaired Practitioner Programs.
456.077 - Authority to Issue Citations.
456.079 - Disciplinary Guidelines.
456.081 - Publication of Information.
456.082 - Disclosure of Confidential Information.
456.36 - Health Care Professionals; Exemption From Disqualification From Employment or Contracting.
456.38 - Practitioner Registry for Disasters and Emergencies.
456.41 - Complementary or Alternative Health Care Treatments.
456.42 - Written Prescriptions for Medicinal Drugs.
456.43 - Electronic Prescribing for Medicinal Drugs.
456.44 - Controlled Substance Prescribing.
456.47 - Use of Telehealth to Provide Services.