By Lisa Schnecker
The OIG found one doctor who had ownership interests in both a hospital and a POD that sold spinal devices to the hospital, as part of an analysis of 12 physician-owned hospitals that reported buying spinal devices from PODs.
But there could be more out there, according to the report. 
“It is possible that additional physicians had such ownership interests that we could not detect using the available information,” according to the report. The investigators found that it wasn’t always easy to find details about the ownership of PODs.
That lack of transparency raises concerns about HHS’ ability to ensure that providers don’t violate the anti-kickback statute, the Stark law governing physician self-referrals, patient safety and quality of care, according to the report.
“One of the primary criticisms of PODs is that ownership may affect physicians’ clinical decisionmaking, such as influencing them to perform unnecessary surgeries or to choose a device in which they have a financial interest rather than another device that may be more appropriate for the patient,” according to the OIG report.