Physicians' Contracts and Restrictive Covenants

Residency contract season is in full swing, and early-career physicians are starting to receive the first wave of employment contracts for 2026 (or even 2027) start dates. At the same time, hospitals and private practices are rolling out updated contract templates that reflect a rapidly shifting financial, regulatory, and reimbursement environment.

Across the resident, fellow

Since the last update regarding non-compete agreements in healthcare, there have been recent developments over the past few weeks, both in the courts and with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), that have brought some clarity on restrictive covenants for healthcare professionals. At the federal level, the FTC is ramping up case-by-case enforcement, with a focus

Most physicians put significant thought and effort into reviewing and negotiating their employment contracts before signing. But what happens when you’ve started your new position, and now you’re noticing red flags: the call schedule is heavier than promised, your bonus formula doesn’t match what you understood, or the support staff and resources you were promised

On July 17, 2024, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed the Fair Contracting for Health Care Practitioners Act into law, which will become effective as of January 1, 2025 (click here see the full bill). Any noncompete covenants that are greater than one year in length in an employment agreement for a healthcare provider, entered into

The Press has announced that the Merger Agreement between UPMC and Washington Health System was approved by the Pennsylvania Attorney General with certain conditions, one of which was that UPMC would honor existing employment contracts and not impose restrictive covenants or non-compete agreements more restrictive than those that currently exist.

We will be researching that

A vast majority of current physician employment contracts, both with larger systems and in individual practice, have some sort of productivity component for compensation, dependent upon the production of:

  • WRVUs (Work Relative Value Unit)
  • Collections
  • Net Profits

Even if there are no negotiated “resource” provisions, most contracts also have what was always thought to be

I. Introduction.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents all physicians, but especially private practice physicians, with numerous clinical, liability and business challenges. We have chosen the following categories to organize and present recommended guidance and linked resources for your information:

1. Clinical Guidance
2. Malpractice Liability
3. Reimbursement
4. Employer/Workers Compensation
5. Telehealth

II. Clinical Guidance.

Many