FREE CPRP Legal and Regulatory Compliance Questions and Answers

Question 1

A hospital offers a recruitment agreement to a new primary care physician. Which of the following clauses would create the most significant risk of violating the Stark Law?

Accepted Answer

A clause that adjusts the income guarantee subsidy based on the volume of patients the physician admits to the hospital.

Answer

A provision for covering reasonable, documented relocation expenses.

Answer

A term limiting the income guarantee period to two years.

Answer

A requirement for the physician to maintain active medical staff privileges at the hospital.

Question 2

Which of the following is a primary distinction between the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and the Stark Law regarding physician recruitment arrangements?

Accepted Answer

The AKS requires proof of wrongful intent, whereas the Stark Law is a strict liability statute.

Answer

The AKS applies only to physicians, while the Stark Law applies to all clinical providers.

Answer

The Stark Law has monetary penalties, while the AKS only provides for exclusion from federal programs.

Answer

The AKS is regulated by CMS, while the Stark Law is regulated by the OIG.

Question 3

A rural health clinic recruits an internal medicine physician who holds a J-1 visa. To secure a Conrad 30 waiver allowing the physician to remain in the U.S., the employment contract MUST specify which of the following conditions?

Accepted Answer

The physician will be employed for a minimum of three years in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or Medically Underserved Area (MUA).

Answer

The physician's salary will be set at the 75th percentile of national compensation survey data.

Answer

The clinic has demonstrated that no qualified U.S. physicians applied for the position.

Answer

The physician agrees not to apply for staff privileges at any competing facility within a 50-mile radius.

Question 4

To ensure a physician's compensation package is compliant with federal regulations, a hospital must demonstrate it reflects Fair Market Value (FMV). Which of the following provides the most objective and defensible evidence of FMV?

Accepted Answer

A formal opinion from an independent, third-party valuation firm that cites multiple, relevant salary surveys.

Answer

An internal analysis of salaries paid to other physicians currently employed by the hospital.

Answer

A signed letter from the hospital CEO attesting that the compensation is commercially reasonable.

Answer

Data from a single, well-regarded national salary survey.

Question 5

During an interview with a physician candidate, which of the following questions is legally impermissible in the United States and should be avoided?

Accepted Answer

"That's an interesting accent; what is your country of origin?"

Answer

"This position requires taking call one weekend per month. Are you able to meet this requirement?"

Answer

"Can you describe your experience working with the Cerner electronic health record system?"

Answer

"What are your professional goals for the next five years?"

Question 6

A hospital provides a recruitment subsidy to an existing private practice to help it hire a new physician. To comply with the Stark Law's physician recruitment exception, the arrangement MUST ensure that:

Accepted Answer

The hospital's financial assistance, excluding actual recruiting costs, is passed through entirely to the recruited physician.

Answer

The subsidy is structured as a loan that the practice must repay to the hospital over five years.

Answer

The recruited physician is prohibited from referring patients to any other hospital.

Answer

The practice agrees to refer a minimum volume of surgical cases to the hospital annually.