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Questions Raised About Doctors Owning Distributorships

Southern California Public Radio, in a segment titled “Selling The Spine,” reports that over the last decade, California “and the rest of the U.S. have seen rapid growth in what are called Physician Owned Distributorships, or PODs, in the spinal device business.” A POD is a medical device business “in which a physician is an investor and a distributor – a salesman – of the parts.” These “physician investors can and do use the devices they sell in the surgeries they perform, and that creates a financial incentive to do more and at times unnecessary surgeries, critics argue.” The question is “whether physician investors in PODs are receiving payments in exchange for referring patients to hospitals that purchase devices those physicians distribute, which would be a criminal offense. ‘The fraud alert issued about PODs was very strongly worded, saying that they were very concerned with the use of PODs in the health care industry and the fact that it could ultimately drive up medical costs,’ said Troy Barksy, an attorney who spent 11 years at Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel.”

From the news release of the American Association for Justice.

Bob Kraft

I am a Dallas, Texas lawyer who has had the privilege of helping thousands of clients since 1971 in the areas of Personal Injury law and Social Security Disability.

About This Blog

The title of this blog reflects my attitude toward those government agencies and insurance companies that routinely mistreat injured or disabled people. As a Dallas, Texas lawyer, I've spent more than 45 years trying to help those poor folk, and I have been frustrated daily by the actions of the people on the other side of their claims. (Sorry if I offended you...)

If you find this type of information interesting or helpful, please visit my law firm's main website at KraftLaw.com. You will find many more articles and links. Thank you for your time.

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