§ 4500 — Legislative findings and statement of policy

§ 4500. Legislative findings and statement of policy. The security of\nthe health and welfare of the residents of this state requires, that the\nutmost attention be given to assure that persons seeking medical care\nand treatment in this state receive adequate care rendered within the\nstandards of ethics and public policy applicable to all practices of\nmedicine. Medical referral services, organized as profit making\nenterprises within this state, have been found to be engaged in the\npractice of medicine, have been sharing fees received for referrals with\ndoctors and hospitals to whom patients are referred, have been otherwise\ncompensating doctors and hospitals for accepting patients referred to\nthem, have been giving medical advice by telephone to persons seeking\nreferrals and have been advertising their services, all in violation of\nthe standards of ethics and public policy applicable to the practice of\nmedicine and which would be violations of standards of professional\nconduct if the acts were performed by physicians. Such profit making\nreferral services have consistently engaged in practices inimical to the\npublic interest which would be prohibited to physicians and have engaged\nin relationships with physicians which are in violation of the laws and\npublic policy of this state and which have permitted physicians to\nbenefit indirectly from acts and practices which would be prohibited to\nthem directly. It is hereby declared to be the public policy of this\nstate that the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of this\nstate require that such profit making medical referral service\norganizations be declared to be invalid and unlawful in this state.\n