(a) Notwithstanding any other law, to the extent those services are paid pursuant to Division 4 (commencing with Section 3200), it is unlawful for a physician to refer a person for clinical laboratory, diagnostic nuclear medicine, radiation oncology, physical therapy, physical rehabilitation, psychometric testing, home infusion therapy, outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging goods or services, or pharmacy goods, whether for treatment or medical-legal purposes, if the physician or his or her immediate family has a financial interest with the person or in the entity that receives the referral. (b) For purposes of this section and Section 139.31, the following shall apply: (1) âDiagnostic imagingâ includes, but is not limited to, all X-ray, computed axial tomography magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography, mammography, and ultrasound goods and services. (2) âImmediate familyâ includes the spouse and children of the physician, the parents of the physician, and the spouses of the children of the physician. (3) âPhysicianâ means a physician as defined in Section 3209.3. (4) A âfinancial interestâ includes, but is not limited to, any type of ownership, interest, debt, loan, lease, compensation, remuneration, discount, rebate, refund, dividend, distribution, subsidy, or other form of direct or indirect payment, whether in money or otherwise, between a licensee and a person or entity to whom the physician refers a person for a good or service specified in subdivision (a). A financial interest also exists if there is an indirect relationship between a physician and the referral recipient, including, but not limited to, an arrangement whereby a physician has an ownership interest in any entity that leases property to the referral recipient. Any financial interest transferred by a physician to, or otherwise established in, any person or entity for the purpose of avoiding the prohibition of this section shall be deemed a financial interest of the physician. (5) A âphysicianâs officeâ is either of the following: (A) An office of a physician in solo practice. (B) An office in which the services or goods are personally provided by the physician or by employees in that office, or personally by independent contractors in that office, in accordance with other provisions of law. Employees and independent contractors shall be licensed or certified when that licensure or certification is required by law. (6) The âoffice of a group practiceâ is an office or offices in which two or more physicians are legally organized as a partnership, professional corporation, or not-for-profit corporation licensed according to subdivision (a) of Section 1204 of the Health and Safety Code for which all of the following are applicable: (A) Each physician who is a member of the group provides substantially the full range of services that the physician routinely provides, including medical care, consultation, diagnosis, or treatment, through the joint use of shared office space, facilities, equipment, and personnel. (B) Substantially all of the services of the physicians who are members of the group are provided through the group and are billed in the name of the group and amounts so received are treated as receipts of the group, and except that in the case of multispecialty clinics, as defined in subdivision ( l ) of Section 1206 of the Health and Safety Code, physician services are billed in the name of the multispecialty clinic and amounts so received are treated as receipts of the multispecialty clinic. (C) The overhead expenses of, and the income from, the practice are distributed in accordance with methods previously determined by members of the group. (7) Outpatient surgery includes both of the following: (A) Any procedure performed on an outpatient basis in the operating rooms, ambulatory surgery rooms, endoscopy units, cardiac catheterization laboratories, or other sections of a freestanding ambulat
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