US Surgeons Dodge Disclosure, Kickback Rules Using PODs, Senators Say

Surgeons invested in physician-owned distributorships (PODs) are performing procedures involving implantable devices at a 44% higher rate than non-POD surgeons, and are trying to avoid Sunshine Act requirements, says a May 10 report released by the US Senate Finance Committee. The Senate report takes a particularly dim look at the impact of PODs on spinal surgeons, saying that the rate of spinal surgery grew three times faster for hospitals that purchased from PODs than for hospitals overall.