Stark Law
The Stark Law, formally the physician self-referral law, is a federal civil statute that prohibits a physician from referring Medicare patients for designated health services, a category that includes home health, to an entity with which the physician or an immediate family member has a financial relationship, unless a specific exception applies. It is a strict liability law: intent does not matter, and a technically noncompliant arrangement is a violation. This page is educational and general, not legal advice.
Definition
The Stark Law, formally the physician self-referral law, is a federal civil statute that prohibits a physician from referring Medicare patients for designated health services, a category that includes home health, to an entity with which the physician or an immediate family member has a financial relationship, unless a specific exception applies. It is a strict liability law: intent does not matter, and a technically noncompliant arrangement is a violation. This page is educational and general, not legal advice.
Why it matters
Stark Law is part of the Compliance & Survey vocabulary used across home health operations, documentation, and revenue cycle. Understanding it helps clinicians, QA leads, and administrators stay aligned on care quality and compliance.
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