2006 Code of Virginia § 54.1-2962 - Division of fees between physicians and surgeons prohibited

54.1-2962. Division of fees between physicians and surgeons prohibited.

No surgeon or physician shall directly or indirectly share any fee chargedfor a surgical operation or medical services with a physician who brings,sends or recommends a patient to such surgeon for operation, or suchphysician for such medical services; and no physician who brings, sends, orrecommends any patient to a surgeon for a surgical operation or medicalservices shall accept from such surgeon or physician any portion of a feecharged for such operation or medical services. This chapter shall not beconstrued as prohibiting the members of any regularly organized partnershipof such surgeons or physicians from making any division of their total feesamong themselves as they may determine or a group of duly licensedpractitioners of any branch or branches of the healing arts from using theirjoint fees to defray their joint operating costs. Any person violating theprovisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

(Code 1950, 54-278; 1956, c. 389; 1988, c. 765.)