OIG Frowns Again on Proposed Company Model Arrangements with Anesthesiologists

anesthIn December, 2012, the OIG reviewed and frowned upon two proposed scenarios, each of which had the effect of shifting to ASC-owner/surgeons a portion of the fees earned from anesthesia services.  The OIG has done it again!

In an era of tremendous stress in the healthcare marketplace, it’s not surprising that some surgeons were willing to push the envelope to capture anesthesia fees they otherwise would not receive.  Traditionally, physician-owned surgery and endoscopy centers contract with anesthesia providers on an exclusive basis and let the anesthesiologists separately bill for anesthesia services.  Anesthesiologists kept whatever was collected for anesthesia services; and surgeons kept whatever was paid for their services.  Plus, if the surgeon was also an owner of the center, the surgeon received a portion of the profits left over from the facility or technical fee.  In the past several years, however, center-owning surgeons are often looking for ways to share anesthesia fees.  The latest OIG Advisory Opinion (13-15) may cause some surgeons to back down or to reevaluate the long-term viability of the so-called “Company Model.” Continue reading

OIG SLAMS COMPANY MODEL ANESTHESIA ARRANGEMENTS WITH SURGERY AND ENDO CENTERS

A long awaited opinion from the OIG on relationships between surgery, endoscopy (and other) centers (“Centers”) will doom many arrangements with anesthesiologists.  At the very least, they will have to significantly restructure.

Such “Company Model” arrangements basically involve a way for surgeon investors in Centers to share in the anesthesia services revenue.  These arrangements have always been suspect, but the OIG has been clear that they run afoul of applicable federal law.  In the June 1st OIG Opinion (12-06), two models were proposed, and both were essentially shot down.  The first involved requiring the anesthesiologists who provide services at the Center to engage a management company owned by surgeon owners of the Center to provide management services on a per patient fee basis.  The second, which is far more commonplace, involved establishing a company owned by the surgeons who also own the Center.  The new company would provide the anesthesia services and contract with the anesthesiologists in a way the leaves some of the anesthesia services income to be distributed to the surgeon in the Center, who also happen to generate all the cases for the Center, and hence all of the anesthesia revenue.

Such arrangements are not only “inherently suspect,” as described by the OIG, they have never made much common sense.  How is it not a kickback for the anesthesiologists to make 100% of the anesthesia related profit on Monday, but then have to “share” it with the surgeon owners on Tuesday, once a new management company or separate anesthesia services company (owned by the surgeons) is formed?

At the very least, surgeons looking for a share of anesthesia revenue will have to dig deep into the opinion and into prior opinions to see if there is any legitimate basis available.