New Stark Rules – Yet More Arrangements to be Restructured

ody">effective until October 1, 2009, to give parties with
On August 19, 2008, the Centers for Medicare andarrangements that are impacted by the new rules time
Medicaid Services (“CMS”) publishedto unwind or restructure, but other provisions are
final Stark rules in its 2009 Final Hospital Inpatienteffective October 1, 2008. In addition to these new
Prospective Payment Systems rule (“FinalStark changes, healthcare providers must stay tuned
Rule”). The Final Rule contains severalfor additional significant Stark and Medicare payment
important revisions to the Stark regulations, some ofregulatory changes, which are expected to be
which will require physicians, hospitals, or otherpublished in November 2008 as part of the 2009
healthcare providers, to unwind or restructure theirMedicare Final Physician Fee Schedule, and in future
arrangements. Some of the new Stark rules are notregulations.