{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-2962.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-2962.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-2962.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-2962.html"}],"law_id":57243,"edition_id":1,"section_id":57243,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2962","catch_line":"Division of fees among physicians prohibited","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 54-278; 1956, c. 389; 1988, c. 765; 2016, cc. 76, 104.","full_text":"A\n\nNo physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth shall:1\n\nKnowingly and willfully, directly or indirectly, share any professional fee received for the provision of health services, as defined in § 54.1-2410, to a patient with another physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth in return for such other physician’s making a referral, as defined in § 54.1-2410, of such patient to the physician providing such health services; or2\n\nAccept any portion of a professional fee paid to another physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth for the provision of health services, as defined in § 54.1-2410, to a patient in return for making a referral, as defined in § 54.1-2410, of such patient to the physician providing such health services.B\n\nThis chapter shall not be construed as prohibiting (i) the members of any regularly organized partnership or group practice, as defined in § 54.1-2410, of physicians licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth from making any division of their total fees among themselves as they may determine or using their joint fees to defray their joint operating costs; (ii) arrangements permitted under the Practitioner Self-Referral Act (§ 54.1-2410 et seq.); or (iii) payments, business arrangements, or payment practices that would be permitted in accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)(3) if such payments, business arrangements, or payment practices involved an underlying payment source that was a federal health care program, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(f), regardless of whether the underlying payment source actually is a federal health care program or other bona fide payment source.C\n\nAny person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":209700,"text":"No physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth shall:","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"A1"},"1":{"id":209701,"text":"Knowingly and willfully, directly or indirectly, share any professional fee received for the provision of health services, as defined in § 54.1-2410, to a patient with another physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth in return for such other physician’s making a referral, as defined in § 54.1-2410, of such patient to the physician providing such health services; or","type":"section","prefixes":["A","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"A1","prefix_anchor":"A1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"A2"},"2":{"id":209702,"text":"Accept any portion of a professional fee paid to another physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth for the provision of health services, as defined in § 54.1-2410, to a patient in return for making a referral, as defined in § 54.1-2410, of such patient to the physician providing such health services.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"A2","prefix_anchor":"A2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A1","next_prefix":"B"},"3":{"id":209703,"text":"This chapter shall not be construed as prohibiting (i) the members of any regularly organized partnership or group practice, as defined in § 54.1-2410, of physicians licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth from making any division of their total fees among themselves as they may determine or using their joint fees to defray their joint operating costs; (ii) arrangements permitted under the Practitioner Self-Referral Act (§ 54.1-2410 et seq.); or (iii) payments, business arrangements, or payment practices that would be permitted in accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)(3) if such payments, business arrangements, or payment practices involved an underlying payment source that was a federal health care program, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(f), regardless of whether the underlying payment source actually is a federal health care program or other bona fide payment source.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A2","next_prefix":"C"},"4":{"id":209704,"text":"Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":12760,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Standards of Practice","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12759,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":242459,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12760,"identifier":"6","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12759,"edition_id":1,"name":"Medicine and Other Healing Arts","identifier":"29","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241933,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12759,"identifier":"29","token":"54.1\/III\/29","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":57243,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2962","catch_line":"Division of fees among physicians prohibited","url":"\/54.1-2962\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962","metadata":false},{"id":61370,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2962.01","catch_line":"Anatomic pathology services; fees","url":"\/54.1-2962.01\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962.01","metadata":false},{"id":69059,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2962.1","catch_line":"Solicitation or receipt of remuneration in exchange for referral prohibited","url":"\/54.1-2962.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962.1","metadata":false},{"id":61450,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2962.2","catch_line":"Physician-patient relationship; effect of certain emergency department treatment","url":"\/54.1-2962.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962.2","metadata":false},{"id":53953,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2963","catch_line":"Selling vitamins or food supplements in connection with a practice of the healing arts; chiropractor recommending vitamins, minerals, or food supplements","url":"\/54.1-2963\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2963","metadata":false},{"id":85230,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2963.1","catch_line":"Disclosure of medical treatment options","url":"\/54.1-2963.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2963.1","metadata":false},{"id":80734,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2963.2","catch_line":"Expired","url":"\/54.1-2963.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2963.2","metadata":false},{"id":74620,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2964","catch_line":"Disclosure of interest in referral facilities and clinical laboratories","url":"\/54.1-2964\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2964","metadata":false},{"id":58159,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2965","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/54.1-2965\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2965","metadata":false},{"id":65325,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2966","catch_line":"Physicians reporting disabilities to aircraft pilots licensing authorities exempt from liability; testifying in certain proceedings","url":"\/54.1-2966\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2966","metadata":false},{"id":82938,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2966.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/54.1-2966.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2966.1","metadata":false},{"id":68976,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2967","catch_line":"Physicians and others rendering medical aid to report certain wounds","url":"\/54.1-2967\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2967","metadata":false},{"id":72506,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2968","catch_line":"Information about certain individuals with disabilities","url":"\/54.1-2968\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2968","metadata":false},{"id":54830,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2969","catch_line":"Authority to consent to surgical and medical treatment of certain minors","url":"\/54.1-2969\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2969","metadata":false},{"id":83134,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2970","catch_line":"Medical treatment for certain persons incapable of giving informed consent","url":"\/54.1-2970\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2970","metadata":false},{"id":76802,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2970.1","catch_line":"Individual incapable of making informed decision; procedure for physical evidence recovery kit examination; consent by minors","url":"\/54.1-2970.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2970.1","metadata":false},{"id":71025,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2971","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/54.1-2971\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2971","metadata":false},{"id":57814,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2971.01","catch_line":"Prescription in excess of recommended dosage in certain cases","url":"\/54.1-2971.01\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2971.01","metadata":false},{"id":79526,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2971.1","catch_line":"Disclosure for certain treatment of infertility","url":"\/54.1-2971.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2971.1","metadata":false},{"id":59523,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2972","catch_line":"When person deemed medically and legally dead; determination of death; nurses', licensed practical nurses', physician assistants', or advanced practice registered nurses' authority to pronounce death under certain circumstances","url":"\/54.1-2972\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2972","metadata":false},{"id":80891,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2973","catch_line":"Persons who may authorize postmortem examination of decedent's body","url":"\/54.1-2973\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2973","metadata":false},{"id":74475,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2973.1","catch_line":"Practice of laser hair removal","url":"\/54.1-2973.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2973.1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":61370,"structure_id":12760,"section_number":"54.1-2962.01","catch_line":"Anatomic pathology services; fees","url":"\/54.1-2962.01\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962.01","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-2962\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1956, chapter 389; in 1988, chapter 765; in 2016, chapters 76<\/a> and 104<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":54728,"section_number":"18.2-502","catch_line":"Medical referral for profit","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-502\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":87158,"section_number":"54.1-2410","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2410\/"}],"permalink":{"id":242461,"object_type":"law","relational_id":57243,"identifier":"54.1-2962","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962","url":"\/54.1-2962\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-2962\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/6\/54.1-2962","dublin_core":{"Title":"Division of fees among physicians prohibited","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-2962","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> No physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth shall: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Knowingly and willfully, directly or indirectly, share any professional fee received for the provision of health services, as defined in § 54.1-2410<\/a>, to a patient with another physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth in return for such other physician’s making a referral, as defined in § 54.1-2410<\/a>, of such patient to the physician providing such health services; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Accept any portion of a professional fee paid to another physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth for the provision of health services, as defined in § 54.1-2410<\/a>, to a patient in return for making a referral, as defined in § 54.1-2410<\/a>, of such patient to the physician providing such health services. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> This chapter shall not be construed as prohibiting (i) the members of any regularly organized partnership or group practice, as defined in § 54.1-2410<\/a>, of physicians licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth from making any division of their total fees among themselves as they may determine or using their joint fees to defray their joint operating costs; (ii) arrangements permitted under the Practitioner Self-Referral Act (§ 54.1-2410<\/a> et seq.); or (iii) payments, business arrangements, or payment practices that would be permitted in accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)(3) if such payments, business arrangements, or payment practices involved an underlying payment source that was a federal health care program, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(f), regardless of whether the underlying payment source actually is a federal health care program or other bona fide payment source. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDIVISION OF FEES AMONG PHYSICIANS PROHIBITED (\u00a7 54.1-2962)\n\nA. No physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth\nshall:\n\n 1. Knowingly and willfully, directly or indirectly, share any professional fee\n received for the provision of health services, as defined in § 54.1-2410,\n to a patient with another physician licensed to practice medicine or\n osteopathy in the Commonwealth in return for such other physician’s\n making a referral, as defined in § 54.1-2410, of such patient to the\n physician providing such health services; or\n\n 2. Accept any portion of a professional fee paid to another physician licensed\n to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth for the provision of\n health services, as defined in § 54.1-2410, to a patient in return for\n making a referral, as defined in § 54.1-2410, of such patient to the\n physician providing such health services.\n\nB. This chapter shall not be construed as prohibiting (i) the members of any\nregularly organized partnership or group practice, as defined in §\n54.1-2410, of physicians licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in the\nCommonwealth from making any division of their total fees among themselves as\nthey may determine or using their joint fees to defray their joint operating\ncosts; (ii) arrangements permitted under the Practitioner Self-Referral Act\n(§ 54.1-2410 et seq.); or (iii) payments, business arrangements, or payment\npractices that would be permitted in accordance with 42 U.S.C. §\n1320a-7b(b)(3) if such payments, business arrangements, or payment practices\ninvolved an underlying payment source that was a federal health care program, as\ndefined in 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(f), regardless of whether the underlying\npayment source actually is a federal health care program or other bona fide\npayment source.\n\nC. Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a Class 1\nmisdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 54-278; 1956, c. 389; 1988, c. 765; 2016, cc. 76, 104.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}