American Medical News reports that a compromise bill passed by both houses of the New Jersey State Legislature is designed to reverse a 2007 court ruling that threatened to put roughly 200 physician-owned ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in violation of the state's anti-self-referral law. If enacted, the new bill would allow physicians to treat patients in ASCs they own as long as the following conditions are met:
- The physician who referred the patient personally performs the procedure.
- Financial compensation is not tied to the volume of patient referral.
- All clinical decisions are made by practicing physicians and are in the best interest of patients.
- Patients are given prior written notice of the physician's financial interest.
The bill also places a moratorium on new ASC construction unless the center is jointly owned by a hospital. The governor is expected to sign the legislation.
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