California Nursing Home Administrator License Practice Exam

Which of the following is not considered patient brokering?

1. paying the physician when she refers a resident to your community

2. providing access to resident records for a fee so home health agency can add them on service

3. paying a hospital discharge planner a per head fee for resident placements in your facility

4. providing monetary compensation to a resident who refers a former neighbor to your facility

The correct answer is: providing monetary compensation to a resident who refers a former neighbor to your facility

The rationale for identifying the situation involving providing monetary compensation to a resident who refers a former neighbor to your facility as not being considered patient brokering lies in its nature as a referral made by an existing resident rather than a professional or institutional representative. Patient brokering generally refers to the unethical or illegal practice of paying individuals or professionals in the healthcare system (such as physicians or discharge planners) to secure patient admissions, often for the purpose of financial gain rather than the health and well-being of the patient. In this instance, the referral process initiated by a resident is more akin to a personal recommendation, which does not inherently involve a transaction that exploits or manipulates the patient admission process. It highlights a more organic and community-based approach to enhancing resident intake rather than an incentivized arrangement managed by healthcare professionals or entities, which is the essence of patient brokering. Therefore, this action does not align with the typical legal and ethical violations associated with patient brokering practices.