Harry Severance, MD, an adjunct assistant professor at Durham, N.C.-based Duke University School of Medicine, joined Becker's to discuss why he believes Stark law is hurting physicians rather than curbing corruption.
Editor's note: This response was edited lightly for clarity and length.
Question: What needs to change about Stark law and anti-kickback statutes?
Dr. Harry Severance: To start with, some of the provisions behind the Stark law, anti-kickback statutes are laudable, but they're poorly written and directed. They were written with some angst. We need politicians to look at what is written and say, "What was the valid goal of the law?" And then rewrite those laws so that they are equitable and fair across the line, but without excluding physicians from being a spokesperson for their patients. We need leaders to recognize that when these management decisions are wrong; they are not good for patient care.
There are multiple other disruptors within our healthcare workplaces that need to be addressed if we want to keep doctors and nurses in these workplaces and not leave healthcare (or choosing not to begin a healthcare career) for other professions. Another recent polling study found that 25% of current U.S. medical students plan on quitting, and 61% of medical and nursing students say they will complete their training but will never see a patient. This is a thumbnail of the stark and dismal future in store for healthcare if we don’t fix it now.