Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-502 — Medical referral for profit
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Article 3: Miscellaneous Offenses in General, Code of Virginia.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-502
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.
(a) No person, firm, partnership, association or corporation, or agent or employee thereof, shall for profit engage in any business which in whole or in part includes the referral or recommendation of persons to a physician, hospital, health related facility, or dispensary for any form of medical care or treatment of any ailment or physical condition unless the person is advised of the criteria of selection of the physicians, hospitals, health-related facilities or dispensaries considered for the referral or recommendation. The acceptance of a fee or charge for any such referral or recommendation shall create a presumption that the business is engaged in such service for profit. A violation of the provisions of this section shall be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(b) Whenever there is a violation of this section, in addition to the criminal sanctions, an application may be made by the Attorney General to the circuit court of the city or county in which the offense occurred, to issue an injunction, and upon notice to the defendant of not less than five days, to enjoin and restrain the continuance of such violation. If it appears to the satisfaction of the court or judge that the defendant has, in fact, violated this section, an injunction may be issued by such court or judge enjoining and restraining any further violation, without requiring proof that any person has, in fact, been injured or damaged thereby. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit, prohibit, forbid or prevent any licensed physician or practitioner of the healing arts in the ordinary course of his professional practice from making referrals or recommendations to other members of such groups, so long as no fee is received for such referral or recommendation.
The criminal and civil provisions of this section shall not apply to any individual association or corporation not organized or incorporated for pecuniary profit or financial gain, or to any organization or association which is exempt from taxation pursuant to § 501(c) of Title 26 of the United States Code (Int. Rev. Code of 1954).
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any division of fees prohibited by § 54.1-2962 or any remuneration for referral prohibited by federal law or regulation.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is medical referral for profit a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
Medical referral for profit is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-502.
Which Virginia statute covers medical referral for profit?
Medical referral for profit is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-502 (Medical referral for profit).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.