Attorney Calls Law a Model to Limit Physician Self-Referral

By Greg Jones, Western Bureau ChiefA new California law that went into effect on Jan. 1 is a model for other states that want to crack down on physician self-referrals, according to a partner at an international law firm.Most of the discussion about Assembly Bill 378 -- signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct. 7 -- has been on the reimbursement rate for compound drugs, which must now be billed for no more than the price of their ingredients, as set by Medi-Cal.But the measure also added pharmacy goods to the items listed in California Labor Code Section 139.3(a) for which physician self-ref...