Kickbacks in healthcare refer to what practice?

In the context of healthcare, kickbacks are commonly understood as the practice of exchanging gifts, payments, or other benefits with the intention of influencing healthcare providers' decisions regarding referrals, services, or the purchase of products. This unethical practice can lead to conflicts of interest, where healthcare providers prioritize financial gain over patient well-being. Kickbacks undermine the integrity of healthcare decisions, as they may encourage providers to recommend unnecessary treatments or medications simply to benefit from the arrangement rather than focusing on the best interests of their patients.

The other options describe different forms of unethical billing or practices in healthcare but do not accurately capture the essence of what constitutes kickbacks. For instance, billing for services not performed relates more to fraudulent billing practices than to the exchange of gifts or financial incentives meant to influence decisions.