By Geoffrey Kaiser ( March 5, 2018, 1:00 PM EST) -- The federal Anti-Kickback Statute contains a statutory exception or "safe harbor" providing that the AKS will not apply to "any amount paid by an employer to an employee (who has a bona fide employment relationship with such employer) for employment in the provision of covered items or services." 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7b(b)(3)(B) (emphasis added). Similarly, the parallel regulatory exception states that prohibited remuneration under the AKS "does not include any amount paid by an employer to an employee, who has a bona fide employment relationship with the employer, for employment in the furnishing of any item or service for which payment may be made in whole or in part under Medicare, Medicaid or other Federal health care programs." 42 CFR § 1001.952(i) (emphasis added).[1]...