What does the Anti Kick Back statute prohibit?

• A. Prohibits offering, receiving, paying, or soliciting any remuneration in exchange for the referral of Medicare/Medicaid patients.
• B. Prohibits only cash payments for referrals.
• C. Allows kickbacks for referrals from certain specialties.
• D. Applies only to private insurers.

Answer: (A)

The basic idea being tested is that the Anti-Kickback Statute bars any financial incentive tied to referrals for items or services paid by federal health care programs. The correct statement captures the breadth of the law: it prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving any remuneration in exchange for referrals of Medicare or Medicaid patients. This means not only cash payments but also non-cash inducements, gifts, services, or other benefits intended to influence where a patient is referred.

Why this is the best answer: it conveys the full scope of the statute—any form of remuneration used to reward referrals for services covered by Medicare/Medicaid is disallowed, which is the core protective aim of the law.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: it’s not limited to cash payments; non-cash kickbacks are also prohibited, so a choice focusing only on cash payments is incorrect. It does not permit kickbacks for referrals from any specialty—the statute prohibits kickbacks altogether, with limited safe harbors but not selective permission. And it does not apply only to private insurers; the focus is on referrals related to federal health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid.