Routine waiver of co-pays would be a violation of which law?

The routine waiver of co-pays would be a violation of the Anti-kickback Statute. This law is designed to prevent healthcare providers from offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting anything of value to influence the referral of services or items covered by federal healthcare programs. When providers routinely waive co-pays, it can be seen as an inducement for patients to seek more services or as a way to incentivize referrals, which undermines the integrity of the healthcare system and leads to increased costs for everyone. By waiving co-pays, the provider may also unintentionally imply that the service is worth less than what is charged, potentially violating the statute's intent to maintain fair market practices.

The other laws listed, such as the Stark Law, focus on self-referral and conflicts of interest, while the False Claims Act addresses fraudulent claims submitted for reimbursement. Although all of these regulations are important for maintaining compliance in the healthcare industry, the Anti-kickback Statute specifically addresses the issue of financial inducements related to patient care and could be directly implicated by routine waivers of co-pays.