Hospitals Are Hiring More Physicians

Basically, it’s illegal for a hospital to give a physician a “kickback” for a referral. But it is legal for a hospital to buy the referrals by hiring the physician and paying him more than he was previously earning. What else do you need to know?

See NEJM article.

See Austin Frakt commentary here.

Comments (7)

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  1. Ken says:

    More perverse incentives.

  2. Neil H. says:

    Something tells me all the joy of being a physician is about to vanish.

  3. Vicki says:

    I don’t think this is a good development.

  4. Devon Herrick says:

    The trend toward ACOs is making this even worse. I’ve talked to providers and read articles and there is a hiring frenzy currently going on.

  5. Jeff says:

    We’re just inching our way toward one big single payer bureaucracy.

  6. Virginia says:

    This has been a big topic among my friends lately.

    From what I understand, there is another reason: Right now, physicians have a tremendous amount of power in hospitals, both in the clinical and corporate setting. Physician hiring is part of a massive change in the balance of power which will likely weaken physician authority and potentially create new avenues for cost savings like nurse practitioners and such.

  7. Davide says:

    by Annaji. Oh ! What a great revelation of the toraitiandl Bhartiya way of Life. “Perfect behavior, pure wisdom, untainted life, Sacrifice….” Do we agree with Anna really?Corruption rests in Mind of people and spreads in Rules, Finance, Society, System and overall. Communalism is another form of corrupted mind-set. We have to uproot this corruption from our mind from everybody. A common man to politician. From a businessman to a home tutor. We have to take an oath to save our country from corruption. Only bringing the stashed money from Swiss Bank will end the corruption? No. Enactment of the Jan Lokpal Bill will end up corruptions? No. But, all these are the certain powerful tools to set strong machinery against Corruption. But unless and until the Human resources are free from corruption, nothing shall be happened.Thinking envious to the neighbors will make us corrupt, not discharging the stipulated responsibilities in time makes a vicious circle of corruption and bribes, debauchery in life tends a corrupted life, the sprawling subversiveness survives in corruption, Political ambitions without the prosperity of the people makes us completely “Corrupted” and my corruption and your corruption made this Nation, easy to say as “Corrupted”. Yes, this is the time to say no to “Corruption”. Anna started to set a “Corruption” free India. We have to follow it hermetically.Certainly the most significant feature of this Anti-Corruption Movement is to bring the mass from all strata of life, all beliefs, all rights group and different organisations across the country even touches the hearts of millions of Indians dwell out side India. The whole country saw the fervor of the growing sentiment in favor of Nationalism and against the political corrupts, bankrupt bureaucrats and the media moles in the system. And after all, the reluctant and repulsive Govt crowned with corruptions bent to the protesting populace demanding a strong law enforcement against Corruption with the direct representation o the Republic of India. Now such a necessary law is possible. That may be a nightmare of the corrupted politicians, bureaucrats, media moles, NGOists. But we have to draw the dream lines of the Corruption Free India for which millions of youngsters and the youths marched these days with the older generations even.Yes, only Anna can do this. Perhaps, He is the uncrowned King of India. All responded him to join the cause. The Bharat Swabhiman Trust, Art of Living, ABVP, RSS all joined with another thousands for this great cause. We saw Swami Ramdev and Ram Madhav in a frame. We saw Medha Patker and Anupam Kher side by side. The Buddhist monks and the Jain Munis were on the stage, at the same time Farah Khan could not resist her to reach Jantar Mantar, keeping aside her busy schedule of Bollywood. Hindus worshiped and offered ‘aahuti’ in Mass Yanga (fire rituals) in the street, while Muslims and Christians prayed for the success of Anna’s fast at Jantar Mantar. The whole India were with Anna these days and must remain with him. The feelings are My India, My Bharat – against inconsistency of the system so far, against big beefed ‘bhastrachar’ (corruption) in India. Anna surfaced the potential Oneness of India. Ekatma Bharat. And not detracting and rejecting any thing for the good of this Republic, Anna solicited the strength from Vivekananda to Gandhi, Laxmibai to Bhagat Singh-Chandrasekhar Azad, from Dayananda to Rammonhar Lohia. Anna symbolized him as a modern saint of India with a toraitiandl vision and values. Anna’s scientific approach for the rural reconstruction in Ralegan Siddhi with preserving all the Indian values and ethics may serve as a role model in every aspirant rural corners of India too. Now a modern India can stand up with its own identity along with rationality and modernity.I am still in the rhythms of little school girls who were shouting very enthusiastically in the street rally after Anna broke his fast in the fifth day – ‘Ek do tin char, dur karenge bhastrachar’ , ‘hamara neta kaisa ho, Anna Hazare Jaisa Ho’…. I was also clapping and shouting in the same way.Bande Mataram, Bharat Mata ki Jai. Jai Hind.