Independent Practice

Physician practices face numerous disruptions in today’s healthcare environment, from reimbursement declines and inflation to diminished physician autonomy.  Brandon Ortega, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Long Beach (Calif.) Lakewood Orthopaedic Institute, recently joined Becker’s to discuss the obstacles faced by…

A funding bill recently passed by the House of Representatives locks in a 2.8% Medicare physician pay cut for 2025, perpetuating long-held concerns about the sustainability of independent practice and the future of patient care.  “As reimbursement rates fail to…

Primary care is suffering more than most under the ongoing physician shortage.  The U.S. was forecast to see a shortage of up to 64,000 physicians by the end of 2024 and a shortage of 86,000 by 2036, according to a…

While most physicians work in employed settings, there is a growing shift toward independent practice as concerns about physician autonomy and satisfaction persist. 

The physician shortage — particularly in primary care — has reached crisis levels, yet little is being done to reverse the trend.

As independent physician practices have dwindled in the last decade, autonomy has emerged as a central concern in the physician workforce. 

Johnson, Tenn.-based Ballad Health seeks to provide relief for physician practices struggling to stay afloat in challenging economic environments, especially in rural areas. 

Here are five organizations helping physicians start or maintain independent practice through new and innovative business models:

As the independent physician market is shrinking, many ASC leaders are concerned about what they see to be problematic behavior from hospital employees. 

Salaries and wages remain the largest operating expense for private practice physicians, according to a recent survey from healthcare software company Tebra, published Jan. 30.