Professional Services Arrangements: Stark Law and AKS Compliance, Finding the Best Model, Avoiding Key Deal Breakers

Ms. Ferrari is a member of Hancock Daniel’s corporate healthcare group, where she focuses on issues related to transactional and enterprise compensation planning, governance and review, particularly issues related to fair market value and commercial reasonableness. Although her past experience encompasses a multitude of regulatory, transactional, governance and investigation matters, Ms. Ferrari is known especially for her work in recruitment and retention of highly compensated thought leader physicians and executives; and incentive payment distributions through ACOs and clinically integrated networks to advance value-based care initiatives. She has worked extensively with clients navigating the intersection of regulatory and financial considerations in clinical research, including agreements for funding and support services and the related issues of contracting and compliance; transactional due diligence for compensation compliance; and navigating the intersection of compensation and antitrust issues. Ms. Ferrari's expertise also includes recruitment, compensation and procurement governance for “essential” hospitals such as public, rural, academic and pediatric hospitals.

Ms. James works with clients in numerous aspects of health care law. Her work involves counsel regarding hospital/physician contracting matters, hospital and health system relationships, regulatory and compliance issues, organization governance and hospital/physician alignment. Ms. James regularly counsels clients on a national basis regarding fraud and abuse matters, including analyses related to federal Stark, Anti-Kickback and Civil Monetary Penalties laws.

Mr. Sylla has a decade of experience in helping hospitals and health systems comply with healthcare's fraud and abuse regulatory framework. Specializing in provider compensation arrangements, Mr. Sylla has used that experience to develop compensation plans, investigate and audit provider arrangements, and resolve problematic arrangements with governmental agencies.