The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently posted its 2015 limits on non-monetary compensation and medical staff incidental benefits. The Stark Law provides two exceptions for relatively minor remuneration provided to a referring physician.

Under the non-monetary compensation exception, a hospital or other entity may provide up to the non-monetary compensation limit for items or services (but not cash or cash equivalents) provided to a physician. For calendar year 2015, the aggregate limit is $392, which is a slight increase from $385 in 2014.

The medical staff incidental benefits exception permits a hospital and other entities with medical staffs to provide “low value” items and services to its medical staff (or a particular specialty of the medical staff). For calendar year 2015, the maximum value of incidental benefits is $33, which is one dollar higher than 2014.

Both the non-monetary compensation and medical staff incidental benefits exceptions have additional requirements.

The 2015 limits and previous limits can be viewed here.