[Current SHI physician legislation: succession rules for surgical seats : Surgical vacancies can be filled with orthopedic/trauma surgery specialists only within narrow limits]. / Aktuelles Vertragsarztrecht: Nachfolge bei Chirurgensitzen : Nachbesetzung einer chirurgischen Zulassung durch Fachärzte für Orthopädie/Unfallchirurgie nur in engen Grenzen.

It is a physician's certified continuing medical education category-rather than their actual medical activity, in this case in the field of trauma surgery-that is decisive in filling statutory health insurance (SHI) practice vacancies. This evaluation arising from §16 of the requirement planning guideline applies accordingly when filling physician vacancies. Thus physician vacancies or statutory health insurance (SHI) practice places can only be filled by a physician in the same physician group in line with requirement planning. Scope for argumentation initially remains in the context of filling surgical SHI physician vacancies where the ceding physician is certified as an accident insurance consultant.

Eleven essential steps to purchasing or selling a medical practice.

Based on our experience in representing more than 100 doctors and medical specialists in practice sales and acquisitions, we have identified 11 key considerations important to a deal. There are several issues to consider while going through the process of buying or selling a practice including the implementation of a "letter of intent" as a first step rather than drafting a contract, securing a lease, and verifying the property is not in violation of the local zoning requirements. There are also considerations with regard to the patients, which range from how will the accounts receivable at the time of the closing be handled to who is responsible for the handling of continued treatment in an ongoing case after a deal is finalized. This article details these considerations and more.

Valuing and selling a practice.

Surgeons, as they contemplate retirement, wrongly believe that their practices do not have financial value. In fact, a well-organized efficiently functioning office with an emphasis on excellent service in combination with a constant stream of patients make it financially ideal for the new surgeon. Being able to assume such a practice can be a very smart financial decision. The practice's worth can be determined by a careful analysis of the practice financials and an evaluation of the functioning of the office and employees. Purchasing such a practice can be, economically, a very smart move by a new surgeon. Payments are made over time at a rate that allows the surgeon to make a good living, leaving him with real equity once the payments are complete. The departing surgeon, who had spent years building this successful practice, gets some of this value back in the form of an income stream to supplement his retirement. This process should be considered in virtually every case. Do not just "close the door."

Picking up the scent: Wave of practice acquisitions by hospitals has antitrust regulators on notice.

With the growing wave of acquisitions of practices by hospitals, antitrust regulators are putting the deals under harsh scrutiny to see if they're just a cover for raising prices rather than coordinating care and improving quality. "If there's an issue, I want to know about it now," says St. Luke's President and CEO Dr. David Pate, whose hospital met such a roadblock. "Let's just see if there are issues. We don't believe that there are."