Physicians were once revered in our society, but their reputations have become somewhat tarnished over the last several decades. Adding to the decline is a recent warning by the Health and Human Services (HHS) inspector General’s office describing doctors who rent office space to suppliers or providers at above-market rates as a hidden form of kickback. Some suppliers whose businesses depend on physician referrals are paying excessive rent for office space to their physician-landlords in order to boost referrals. According to HHS Inspector General June Gibbs Brown, such inducements can influence medical decision-making, encouraging services based on profit rather than the patients’ best interests. This Health Outrage is “old hat,” doctors have been x-raying the wallets of their patients’ and bilking the insurance coffers for a long time.
