Independent Practice

While there are certainly some hurdles for young surgeons who want to make a career in private practice, it is still often the best setting for autonomy and entrepreneurship, according to Emeka Nwodim, MD.  It’s difficult to place a monetary…

Humana has acquired Sarasota, Fla.-based MaxHealth, a primary care network owned by private equity firm Arsenal Capital Partners’ Best Value Healthcare, Bloomberg reported Feb. 12. Sources told Bloomberg the deal could value MaxHealth at about $1 billion. The report follows…

Private practice is at a crossroads. As reimbursement tightens and consolidation accelerates, physicians are rethinking how to preserve autonomy, financial stability and control over patient care.  These five trends show how independent practice is evolving, and what it will take…

North Carolina is attempting to address the impact of consolidation on the state’s independent practices through a new state health insurance plan initiative, The Center Square reported Feb. 8.  The Preferred Provider program, developed by the North Carolina state health…

Physician ownership is steadily giving way to hospital systems, private equity and large corporate platforms, but many physicians say control over care decisions does not have to disappear with it.  Many respondents said consolidation is likely to continue as running…

Direct primary care has been gaining steam in the physician practice space for several years now, as physicians seek out ways to cut out financial and operational inefficiencies associated with traditional fee-for-service models and insurance companies.  But DPC is still…

The Rural Health Transformation Program, enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, aims to improve access, care quality and infrastructure in rural communities. The program created a $50 billion fund to distribute across all 50 states from 2026 to…

Physician autonomy has become a growing flashpoint for both independent and employed physicians as the practice of medicine becomes more intertwined with politics, finances and technology.  Five physicians recently joined Becker’s to discuss how they’re defining autonomy in 2026. Editor’s…

The fate of independent physician practices is uncertain as consolidation efforts by hospitals and health systems continue to dominate the market, according to a report released by the Progressive Policy Institute in December 2025. The report evaluated 70 economic studies…

Autonomy is a core issue for both independent and employed physicians as they navigate an increasingly complex, corporate and politicized healthcare system.  Here are five notes regarding how physicians feel about their level of autonomy in different practice settings and…