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Physician Compensation Plans - State-of-the-Art Strategies

Develop and implement a compensation program that ensures long-term success.


Item #: 6451
ISBN: 9781568292755


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Navigate the maze of methods by which income for physicians is determined and paid in a wide variety of healthcare organizations, including group practices, academic medical centers, hospitals and integrated delivery systems. Find innovative approaches, plans and a step-by-step guide to assess or modify an existing physician compensation plan or develop a new plan. This comprehensive resource covers all the bases:

  • Plan analysis and the pros and cons of various plans
  • Plan development and information on pay-for-performance programs 
  • Implementation methods 
  • Legal and regulatory compliance issues, including Stark III
  • Methods to achieve physician buy-in

Listen to Bruce Johnson as he explains what you'll learn from Physician Compensation Plans.

 

List of Exhibits 

 Introduction

    Historical Context

    Today’s Medical Practice Environment

    External Challenges

    Internal Challenges

    The Authors

    Overview of this Book

PART I Physician Compensation Plan Development 

ONE Do You Need a New Compensation Plan? 

    A Practice Barometer

        Medical Practices That Have No Choice

        Medical Practices That Seek Alignment

        Medical Practices in the Middle

    Recommended Action for Medical Practices

TWO The Compensation Plan Development Process

    Project Sponsorship

    Compensation Planning Committee

        Committee Composition

        Charge to the Compensation Planning Committee

    Compensation Plan Development Time Line

    Role of a Consultant in Plan Development

    Committee Operating Agreement

    Communication Plan

    The 12-Step Committee Process

THREE The Life Cycle of Compensation Plan Change  

    Life Cycle Phases

        Phase 1 – Today’s Plan

        Phase 2 – Tomorrow’s Potential Plans

        Phase 3 – The New Plan

    The Complexity of Change

    Administrative Readiness for a New Compensation Plan

FOUR Compensation Plan Decision and Implementation  

    Compensation Plan Checklist

    The Decision-Making Process

        Decision Making in Private Medical Practices

        Decision Making in Hospital-Affiliated or Hospital-Employed Practices

        Decision Making in Academic Practices

    A Ballot Approach to Decision Making

    Implementation Plans

        Incremental Adoption

        Blended Adoption

        Segmented Adoption

PART II State-of-the-Art Strategies 

    Introduction  

FIVE Compensation Plan Options – The Compensation Plan Matrix  

    Culture and Compensation

    Financial Realities and Compensation

    Compensation Plan Dimensions

        The Cultural X-Axis: Team-Oriented to Individualistic Plans

        The Financial Y-Axis: Revenue-to-Expense Treatment

        Team-Oriented Plans

        Individualistic Plans

        Middle Ground Plans

    The Compensation Plan Matrix

        Plan “Architectures” Based on the Nine Elements

    Revenue Treatment

        Funds Flow Models

        Revenue Distribution Methods

    Expense Treatment

    Gaining Perspective on Current and Potential Future Plans

SIX Compensation Plan Architectures 

    Team-Oriented Architectures

        Architecture A – Unit-Based Plans

        Architecture B – Guaranteed Share Plans (Base Plus Incentive)

        Architecture C – Percent-Shared, Percent-Production Plans

        Architecture D – Pure Production-Based Plans (No Expense Allocation)

        Architecture E – Graduated Revenue Allocation Plans

    Individualistic Architectures

        Architecture R – Pure Production-Based, Combined with Strict Cost Accounting Plans

        Architecture Q – Pure Production-Based, Combined with Modified Cost Accounting of Expenses (Shared and Based on Utilization) Plans

        Architecture P – Pure Production-Based, Combined with Negotiated Expense Allocation (with Production-Based Component) Plans

        Architecture O – Pure Production-Based, Combined with Equal Share Expense Allocation Plans

        Architecture N – Pure Production-Based, Combined with Graduated Expense Allocation Plans

    Architectures in the Vast “Middle Ground”

SEVEN Measuring Physician Work and Effort  

    The Context for Physician Productivity

    Influences on Physician Productivity

    Productivity’s Negative Effects

    Measures of Physician Work and Effort

    Measuring and Rewarding Quality

    Benchmarking Physician Productivity for Compensation Plan Development

        Purposes and Uses of Benchmarking

        Availability, Utility, and Validity of Benchmarking Resources

        Benchmarking Steps

        Physician-Specific Factors and Benchmarking

    Examples of Benchmarking for Compensation Plan Purposes

        Example 1: Physician Compensation and Key Production Measures

        Example 2: Compensation-to-Production Ratios

        Example 3: Compensation in the Context of the Practice’s Financial Position

        Example 4: Academic Practice and Clinical Full-Time Equivalency (CFTE) Analysis

EIGHT Pay-for-Performance (P4P) and Physician Compensation

    Background

    The P4P Debate

    Aligning Compensation with Reimbursement

    P4P Methods and Measures

        P4P Compensation Strategies

        P4P Revenue Strategies

        P4P Performance Measures

        Physician Profiles

        P4P Documentation

    Examples of P4P Plans

        Example 1: Direct Link between Reimbursement and Disbursement

        Example 2: Separate Incentive Pool and P4P Framework

NINE The Legal Element  

    Two Primary Bodies of Relevant Laws

        Laws Governing Federal Health Care Programs

        Internal Revenue Code Requirements

    Compensation and Context – Applying the Laws

        A Diagnostic Matrix

    The Primary Laws (The Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the Internal Revenue Code) Applied in Two Contexts

        Compensation in Bona Fide “Group Practices”

        Compensation in “Nontraditional” (e.g., Hospital-Owned and Hospital-Operated) Group Practices

        Compensation in Settings Other than Bona Fide “Group Practices”

        Indirect Compensation Arrangements Involving Hospitals and Organizations Other than Group Practices

    The Role of Legal and Accounting Counsel in Compensation Plan Development

TEN Special Issues in Physician Compensation  

    General Framework for Rewarding Nonclinical Production

        Direct Method – Payment for Nonclinical Production Activities

        Indirect Methods – Performance Expectations and Physician Recognition

    Special Issues in Physician Compensation

        Issue 1: Methods to Identify Base Salary Levels

        Issue 2: Compensating Physicians for Satellite and Outreach Activities

        Issue 3: Compensating Physicians for Leadership and Administrative Services

        Issue 4: Compensation Plans for New Physicians

        Issue 5: Compensation Plans for Nonphysician Providers

        Issue 6: Market Differences in Subspecialty Compensation Levels

        Issue 7: Nonobjective Performance Criteria in Compensation Plans

        Issue 8: Compensation Plans Involving System-Wide Incentive Measures

ELEVEN Physician Transition Plans – Physicians in Part-Time, Slowdown, and Similar Status

    Practice “Transition” – What and Why

        The Growth of Physician Transition Plans

    Developing a Transition Plan

        Goals and Principles of Transition Plans

        The Assessment Phase

        The Development Phase

TWELVE Industry Trends in Physician Compensation

    The Issues and Challenges

    Trends in Physician Compensation Arrangements

        Trends in Individualistic/Production Plans

        Trends in Team-Oriented Plans

        Trends in Multispecialty Practices

        Trends in Hospital-Affiliated Practices

        Trends in Academic Practice Plans

        Reemergence of Gainsharing

PART III Compensation Plan Examples  

     Introduction – Compensation Plan Examples  

        The Compensation Plan Matrix and Plan Architectures

THIRTEEN Compensation Plans in Bona Fide Group Practices

    Team-Oriented Architectures and Examples

        Group Practice Architecture A – Unit-Based Plans

        Group Practice Architecture B – Guaranteed Share of Revenues or Income (Base Salary) Plus Incentive Plans

        Group Practice Architecture C – Combined Equal Share and Production Allocation of Revenues or Income Plans

        Group Practice Architecture D – Pure Production-Based Plans

        Group Practice Architecture E – Graduated or Negotiated Revenue (or Income) Allocation Plans

    Individualistic Architectures and Examples

        Group Practice Architecture R – “Strict” Cost Accounting Plans

        Group Practice Architecture Q – Pure Production with “Modified” Cost Accounting Plans

        Group Practice Architecture P – Pure Production with Negotiated Expense Allocation Plans

        Group Practice Architecture O – Pure Production with Equal Share Expense Allocation Plans

        Group Practice Architecture N – Pure Production with Graduated or Negotiated Expense Allocation Plans

    “Middle Ground” Architectures and Examples

FOURTEEN Compensation Plans in Hospital-Affiliated Practices (Direct Employee, Hospital-Affiliated Group and “Contracted” Group) 

        Hospital Example 1 – Straight Salary Plan

        Hospital Example 2-A – Compensation per WRVU Plan

        Hospital Example 2-B – Compensation per WRVU Plan

        Hospital Example 2-C – Compensation per WRVU Plan – Indirect Compensation Arrangement

        Hospital Example 3 – Percentage-Based Compensation Plan

        Hospital Example 4-A – Base Plus Incentive Plan

        Hospital Example 4-B – Base Plus Incentive Plan 

        Hospital Example 5 – Graduated Compensation per WRVU Plan

        Hospital Example 6 – Base Salary with Graduated Compensation per WRVU Plan

        Hospital Example 7 – Hourly Pay for Physician Professional Services Plan

        Hospital Example 8 – Indirect Hospital or Contracted Group with Cost Control Plan

        Hospital Example 9 – Indirect Hospital or Contracted Group Using WRVUs and Cost Control Plan

FIFTEEN Compensation Plans in Academic Practices  

    Faculty Practice Plans Defined

    Contextual Issues in Academic Practices Today

        Key Success Factors for Academic Practices

        Increased Focus on Clinical Service Performance and Production

        Evolution of Faculty Member Compensation Expectations

        Evolving Organizational and Administrative Structures

        Evolution of Faculty Practice Plans

    Approach to Faculty Practice Plan Design

    Key Components of Faculty Practice Plans

        Funds Flow Models

        Faculty Practice Plan Architectures

    Faculty Time Spent in Clinical Activity – CFTE Levels

    Faculty Practice Plan Examples

        Faculty Practice Example 1-A – XYZ Plan with Direct Faculty Revenue and Expense Allocation

        Example 1-B – Adjusted Straight Salary Plan

        Example 1-C – Mission-Based Plan

        Faculty Practice Example 2-A – XYZ Plan with Z Based on Combination of Departmental and Individual Clinical Performance

        Example 2-B – Z Based on Individual Clinical Production Only

        Example 2-C – Z Based on Individual Points and Weights

        Example 2-D – Use of Clinical and Academic Incentive Pools

SIXTEEN The Special World of Hospital and Academic Practices – Assessing Reasonableness and Promoting Compliance  

    Applicable Standards

    Understanding Market Data

    Evaluating the Data

        Measuring to Median

    Compensation and Production Relationships in the Marketplace

    Applying Market Data to Evaluate Questions of Fair Market Value and Reasonableness

    Third-Party and Internal Assessments

Conclusion 

 Additional Resources 

 Index

Bruce Johnson, JD, MPA  
Johnson brings both legal and management perspectives to health care management issues. As a consultant and healthcare attorney, Johnson has varied experiences with business and regulatory compliance matters involving physicians and group practices, hospitals and other healthcare enterprises. He has extensive experience in the application of Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse, Stark self-referral prohibitions, antitrust law and other legal issues relevant to healthcare operations and business transactions.

Deborah L. Walker Keegan, PhD, FACMPE

Deborah Walker Keegan is a nationally recognized consultant, keynote speaker, and author.  She is president of Medical Practice Dimensions Inc. and a principal with Woodcock & Walker Consulting. With more than 25 years of experience, she helps healthcare organizations improve medical practice operations, enhance physician and staff productivity, and align physician compensation systems. She has developed special expertise in ensuring sustainable improvement in academic, hospital-owned and private medical practices.

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"This book is absolutely outstanding. It not only captures the dynamics of the formation and mechanics of a compensation plan, but more importantly, the development of the philosophical aspects that form the foundation of a plan ... and that are so important to the longevity of the program. The authors give you an accurate sense of how practices work today, describing the compensation program as a ‘living organism’ that creates a symbiotic relationship with the members of the organization, reflecting their goals, ideals and working relationships. This organizational approach is exactly what you need to understand when developing a successful compensation program." 

– Harry E. Rubash, MD, Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery,
Massachusetts General Hospital

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