Podcast: Private Equity and the Physician Enterprise: Key Issues Affecting the Investor-Professional Entity Model of Health Care Delivery

by Richard Chasinoff, Director

Private equity is increasingly prevalent in the physician practice space, leading to complex arrangements. Richard Chasinoff, Director at Veralon and Michele Masucci, Partner at Nixon Peabody discuss the structure of the management service organization (MSO), the financial, transactional, and regulatory climate and the unique legal and compliance challenges on AHLA’s Speaking of Health Law Podcast. […]

Where Have All the Anesthesia Specialists Gone? Insights for Healthcare Leaders

by Karin Chernoff Kaplan, Managing Director
and Kelvin Polanco, Manager

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Anesthesia provider shortages aren’t new, and they aren’t limited to certain geographic regions, but they are getting worse—and it’s time to consider new responses. By 2033, the shortage of anesthesiologists nationwide is expected to reach 12,500, according to an often-cited American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) report. From 2016 to 2021, the number of anesthesiologists […]

Determining Compensation for Super-Specialized Physicians: What to Consider

by Karin Chernoff Kaplan, Managing Director

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Before the early 20th century, there were virtually no physician specialists in the United States. Today, the list of physician specialties continues to expand as medical knowledge grows with new discoveries and advancements in technology. Now, healthcare leaders must consider: How does this super-specialization affect physician compensation? Specialization and Sub-Specialization Historically, physicians were generalists, but […]

Don’t Forget the Second Wave of WRVU Changes

by Karin Chernoff Kaplan, Managing Director

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The First Wave 2021 was the big year for WRVU changes associated with CMS’s extensive and far-reaching updates to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The changes, designed to ultimately be budget neutral, restructured reimbursement to increase payments to cognitive specialists (such as primary care and other medical specialties) and reduce reimbursement to procedure-based specialists. […]

Should You Revisit Your Funds Flow Model?

by Karin Chernoff Kaplan, Managing Director
Margot Berg, Manager

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Given the financial realities, it is imperative that Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) have a funds flow model that is equitable, rules-based, and aligned with the goals of the institution at large. Review this checklist of criteria to determine whether your institution should consider revisiting its funds flow model. Review this checklist of criteria to determine […]

Assigning Proxy wRVUs for Physician Activity: Pros and Cons

by Richard Chasinoff, Director
and Monica Nuñez, Manager

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As hospitals and health systems continue to evaluate how they compensate physicians, some have expanded upon their work relative value unit (wRVU) based compensation models to include activities for which wRVUs may not currently be assigned. We are seeing this trend applied to administrative activities—such as attendance and participation in committee meetings—and clinical activities that […]

Designing a Laborist Compensation Model: Key Considerations

by Richard Chasinoff, Director
and Monica Nuñez,, Manager

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Laborist models continue to gain traction as hospitals seek ways to improve patient safety and professional satisfaction and respond to the national OBGYN shortage. But there are two aspects of the laborist model that hospital leaders often grapple with: reimbursement and compensation. Many hospitals are shifting from “traditional” management of labor and delivery where each […]

Fair Play, Fair Pay: Assuring Provider Pay Equity

by Karin Chernoff Kaplan, Managing Director

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It’s not easy to determine if there is equity in provider compensation across your organization, given the many departments, specialties, and roles—but it’s essential. Consider the following hypothetical: A local news source reports a 30% pay discrepancy between your male and female maintenance employees performing the same work. Chances are you would rather not have […]

Why It’s Time to Update Your Physician Compensation Model

by Karin Chernoff Kaplan, Managing Director

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It’s time to stop playing “kick the can” when it comes to physician compensation in hospitals and health systems. When the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) sought to restructure physician reimbursement by increasing payment to cognitive care specialists such as primary care physicians and reducing reimbursement for procedure-based specialists, it was a move designed […]