03/15/2025 Edition

HEADLINES

• Stopping Medicare Payment Cuts: Over 100 different physician organizations continue urging the U.S. House of Representatives to mitigate the 2025 Medicare physician payment cut. Medicare physician payments have been cut annually since 2020, creating ongoing financial uncertainty for many doctors. A bipartisan funding package addressing the 2025 payment cut was nearly passed in December of 2024 but was pulled at the last minute.
• Physician Staffing Firm Files for Bankruptcy: A physician-led staffing firm, NES Health, recently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy following months of financial instability. Their financial troubles led to emergency department physicians at around 30 hospitals going unpaid, some for over two months at a time. NES did announce plans to wind down operations in November of last year, informing physicians they had run out of funds.
• Is AI Reducing or Increasing Workload?:?While AI products have promised to reduce physician workload, officials are increasingly skeptic of whether that will come to fruition in the near term. Current AI models are not perfect and require a fair amount of oversight from physicians and other healthcare workers to ensure accuracy. This has potential to turn what should be time-saving tools into more clinical burdens.

ARTICLES & EPISODES

Key Tax Changes Affecting Physicians When Filing Taxes for 2024

Alvin Yam

A number of recent updates will likely affect high income earners, like physicians, when filing their 2024 taxes. Standard deduction amounts and some retirement plan contribution limits have risen. The Secure Act 2.0 still included some changes taking effect in 2024, and Roth 401(k) accounts no longer have required minimum distributions (RMDs).

Tail Coverage, Whole Life, and Other Insurance Questions

The White Coat Investor Podcast

Physicians often need to navigate many types of insurance from multiple different angles. This podcast episode is dedicated to answering listener questions about malpractice tail coverage, whole life insurance, home insurance, and more. Dr. Mushir Hassan also joins the show to explain his experience as a physician working as a Health Plan CMO.

Fair Market Value and Negotiating Compensation

The Review Podcast

When considering employment contracts, compensation is often top of mind. The majority of physicians who review their contracts will at least compare their current or potential compensation to fair market value (FMV) and then negotiate their salaries and bonuses if necessary. Attorneys Lauren Kaufman and Kyle Claussen explain exactly what constitutes FMV and how physicians can utilize it when negotiating compensation numbers.

THE RESOLVE BLOG

The Stark Law Explained

Chris Houlette

The Stark Law, also known as “The Physician Self-Referral Law,” refers to federal laws passed under the Stark Act. The law was named after Pete Stark, a congressman who sponsored the Act, and it aims to prevent physicians from making healthcare decisions based on personal financial gain. So who does the Stark Law pertain to, exactly which actions are prohibited, and what are the consequences for violation?

CONTRACTS

Pro Tip:

The right leverage allows you to re-negotiate a contract at any time, but renewal usually offers the best opportunity to revise your employment terms.

Many physician contracts renew around June or July, and we recommend starting the whole re-negotiation process about 3 to 4 months ahead of your renewal date. Then you will have plenty of time to?assess your priorities, reevaluate your contract, consult market data, decide which changes are necessary, and have the conversation with your employer.

JOB SEARCH

Upcoming Career Fairs:

• On Tuesday, March 18th, PracticeMatch will host an Anesthesiology & Radiology Virtual Career Fair from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM CST.
• On Wednesday, March 19th, PracticeMatch will host a Nationwide Virtual Career Fair?from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM CST.

Featured Job Listings:

Dermatologist

San Antonio, TX

Stone Oak Dermatology is seeking a full-time dermatologist to join their clinic on the northern side of San Antonio. The listed salary range for this position is $350,000 to $550,000.

Otolaryngologist

Burbank, CA

Providence St. Joseph Medical Center is seeking an otolaryngologist to join their team in Burbank, located on the northern side of Los Angeles. The listed salary range for this position is $382,167 to $584,712.

Job listings provided by PracticeMatch