How to weigh advantages and disadvantages of practice mergers. Specific traps to watch out for include ownership, governance, compensation, liability, fraud and abuse, reimbursement, taxation, benefits, antitrust and personnel.
Read More »The legalities of physician unions
Physician unionization has been in the spotlight during the past few months. Physicians may join or form a union, but must be mindful of the potential obstacles and barriers involved.
Read More »Legal perils in risk pool participation
A representative risk pool funding scheme is portrayed, and freedoms and limitations of implied partnerships are discussed as they impact the sharing of profits and losse
Read More »What happened to the profession?
Paul J. Fink, M.D., reflects upon the erosion of significance plaguing the medical profession, and its impact on medical education. Physicians must transcend feelings of powerlessness and guilt if they are to overcome that erosion.
Read More »Beware investment pundits
Conventional wisdom can lead to costly decisions. What to do with your investment portfolios when the market is at its best and at its worst.
Read More »Specialists face risks in risk contracting
Specialists bear special burdens when health systems administer risk contracts: information risk, market share risk and financial risk. How specialists need to position themselves in anticipation of these burdens.
Read More »Fraud & abuse enforcement expanded
Federal Fraud and Abuse Control Program, revisions to current sanctions and to criminal law, civil monetary penalties and amendment to the anti-kickback statute.
Read More »Challenging Medicare teaching physician audits
Key features of Office of Inspector General audits, including OIG’s new voluntary audits. Offers interpretations of: physical presence of teaching physician, documentation, undercoding and penalties.
Read More »Physician unions: Bad for them and us
Physician unions will erode physicians' greatest asset: the relationship they have with their patients, argues James Unland, acting executive director of Millennium Physician Organization.
Read More »Tobacco control enforcement turns serious
Watershed progress in curbing tobacco sales to minors in Philadelphia.
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