Structuring physician compensation to comply with Stark: How to navigate in turbulent waters

Bricker & Eckler and Integrated Healthcare Strategies invite you to participate in a webinar on May 26 from noon to 1 p.m. EST.

This webinar will provide valuable guidance about structuring physician compensation arrangements in compliance with the Stark law and other applicable laws. Qui tam whistleblowers and government enforcement authorities continue to aggressively pursue Stark violations involving physician compensation in physician employment agreements and other contracts. Increased Stark law enforcement in physician compensation arrangements means some compensation approaches could be risky in the current enforcement climate.

Our experienced presenters will explain the current state of government enforcement involving physician compensation with a focus on evolving theories used in current cases. Additionally, they will share lessons learned and offer practical solutions to physician compensation dilemmas, including:

• Common pitfalls that create risk in physician compensation;

• Challenging compensation dilemmas, such as highly productive physicians, rock stars and underperformers;

• Lessons learned and example compliant physician compensation approaches; and

• The impact the shift to value-based payments and quality performance compensation has on physician compensation.

Presenters:

Steve Rice, Area President, Integrated Healthcare Strategies, a division of Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.

Steve Rice is Area President of Integrated Healthcare Strategies, a division of Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. Mr. Rice brings more than 30 years of healthcare operations and consulting experience, including administrative positions in acute care, long-term care, and physician practice management.

Mr. Rice specializes in the areas of physician compensation, acquisition, and integration. He has significant experience in assessing the fair market value of physician compensation and hospital economic relationships. Mr. Rice concentrates his consulting in the areas of designing income distribution plans for primary care, specialty, and sub-specialty physicians, as well as for advanced practitioners. In addition, Mr. Rice assists clients in structuring physician affiliation models such as direct employment versus professional service agreements.

Mr. Rice has extensive consulting experience communicating to Boards and senior management the challenges of integrating physician practices into healthcare organizations. As a past healthcare administrator in a hospital and long-term care facilities, as well as multi-specialty and academic sub-specialty physician practice settings, Mr. Rice has the ability to effectively communicate physician integration challenges to physicians.

Professional highlights:

• Specialist in fair market value and commercial reasonableness reviews
• Expert in developing successful healthcare operations
• Focused work on income distribution plans
• Successful history structuring physician affiliation models
• Assisted healthcare organizations in multiple federal investigations as an expert in physician compensation

Claire Turcotte, Partner, Bricker & Eckler LLP, Cincinnati-Dayton, Ohio

Claire Turcotte is a partner in Bricker & Eckler’s Health Care group and practices in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. Claire focuses her practice on structuring, drafting and negotiating all types of health care provider affiliation, alignment and integration contracts, including affiliations, acquisitions, mergers, accountable care organizations (ACOs), clinically integrated networks (CINs), service line comanagement agreements, joint ventures, management services organizations (MSOs), call coverage, physician recruitment, physician employment agreements and compensation arrangements, quality performance and pay for performance arrangements, and other hospital-physician arrangements. 

She also counsels hospitals and health care providers on fraud and abuse issues including the Stark law, Anti-Kickback Statute, Civil Monetary Penalties Law and other fraud and abuse matters. Additionally, she works with clients on Medicare and Medicaid regulatory issues, including change of ownership, enrollment, physician supervision, provider-based status and hospital space sharing arrangements, as well as Meaningful Use Incentive and PQRS programs.

Claire is currently a member of the American Health Lawyers Association Women's Leadership Council and is a former Vice Chair of the American Health Lawyers Association Hospital and Health Systems Practice Group. Claire has been listed in Best Lawyers in America (Health Care Law) from  2009-2016 and received Cincinnati Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America (Health Care Law) in 2014.  Claire is recognized in ChambersUSA, Health Care Law with a Band 3 ranking, 2013-2015.  She received her law degree at the University of California, Los Angeles and her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.  

Related Materials

Materials