If a middleman gets the money it's probably a kickback.
A doctor could easily tell a patient “if you go to this hospital for surgery, I’ll give you $100”
That’s still a kickback.
If the doctor is getting any of the money, then that part is the kickback.
If the doctor really gets nothing extra, and the hospital gets nothing extra, then that's not a kickback, it's just weird.
So if a $5 grocery rebate a kick-back?
