The demand for gastroenterology care is surging as rates of colonoscopy, earlier-onset colon cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease continue to climb. But this growth is happening against the backdrop of an increasingly complex legal and regulatory landscape, according to a Sept. 30 Medscape report.
Here are seven new trends and concerns arising with GI practices:
1. Some employers and business owners are pushing physicians to maximize productivity at the expense of administrative time. Without adequate support, physicians may leave large employers in favor of more autonomous practice models, according to the report.
2. Private-equity acquisitions in GI are accelerating. While they can provide financial benefits for retiring physicians, their focus on short-term profits may undermine long-term patient care. Younger physicians risk being tied to restrictive noncompete agreements.
3. Many gastroenterologists sign contracts without legal review, limiting their ability to negotiate favorable terms and leaving them vulnerable to disadvantageous agreements.
4. GI physicians should look beyond salary and bonuses when negotiating. Ownership opportunities in practices, practice management companies, ASCs and even real estate can offer long-term financial benefits and control.
5. Three critical laws govern GI practices: Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act. Understanding these is essential to avoid severe penalties.
6. Physicians investing in ASCs must comply with Anti-Kickback safe harbor provisions. While these rules allow compliant investment structures, even one missing element can render an arrangement illegal.
7. Most states prohibit non-physicians from owning medical practices directly. To work around this, private-equity firms often invest through management services organizations, raising concerns about their influence on pricing, medical protocols and clinical autonomy.
