From Stevens & Lee:
The Stark Law exception requires that health care entities make their physician wellness program available to all physicians who practice in the geographic area served by the provider, not just physicians who are a member of the entity’s medical staff or hold clinical privileges. Further, because the AKS applies to all health care providers, not just physicians, the new safe harbor adds that the program must be made available to all physicians and other clinicians who practice in the geographic area. Also, the new exemptions require that the program is offered to all physicians (and, under the AKS, including other clinicians) without regard to the volume or value of referrals or other business generated by the provider for the entity.
Additional key requirements for physician wellness programs to meet both the Stark Law exception and the AKS safe harbor are identical, and include that the program must:
- Be made available for the primary purpose of preventing suicide, improving mental health and resiliency or providing training in appropriate strategies to promote mental health and resiliency
- Be set forth in a written policy that includes an estimation of the cost of the program, the content and duration of the program, the evidence-based support for the program’s design, the personnel conducting the program and the method for evaluating the success of the program
- Consist of counseling, mental health services, a suicide prevention program or a substance use disorder prevention and treatment program
The new Stark Law exception and AKS safe harbor provide an additional mechanism for health care entities to address burnout and mental health issues within their provider populations. Furthermore, regulations pertaining to these new statutory exceptions may come in the summer or early fall, which may provide additional requirements or additional guidance on these programs.