Group practices and hospital affiliation of medical practices

Federal reimbursement systems, state constitutional amendments, and fiscal responsibilities are driving physicians and hospitals into alliances that were unheard of a decade ago. How those alliances are established is critical to the success of those new affiliations. James Unland explores several forms of physician groups and physician-hospital alliances. The "Group Practice Without Walls," "The Mutual Service Corporation" and others are explored in this article. In a world of changing health-care programs, Unland states there is a middle ground where group-practice ownership and control are shared. The exact type of structure, ownership, and control will depend upon many factors. Unland makes a point-by-point evaluation of a hospital-group alliance that integrates numerous medical practices into a single operational entity.