In fiscal year 2024, approximately 8,492 H-1B visas were approved for workers in medicine and health occupations.1 The American Medical Association and over 50 national specialty societies and state medical associations expressed serious concerns over the $100,000 H-1B fee imposed by the Presidential Proclamation, warning that it could worsen the U.S. physician shortage, projected to …
Tax Considerations in Analyzing Offers from Practice Groups
Previously published in Healthcare News and Healthcare Michigan. Although in prior articles in this publication, I addressed tax issues faced by physicians and other practice groups, the purpose of this article is to guide physicians and other medical professionals as they compare the taxes payable by them under completing offers to join practice groups. These tax consequences will …
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November 1 Deadline Looms as Texas Hospitals Struggle to Track Costs Related to Immigration Status
On November 1, certain Texas hospitals must comply with an Executive Order issued by Governor Greg Abbott on August 8, 2024 (Order), requiring them to document medical costs related to the care of individuals without legal immigration status. Governor Abbott provided the following statement explaining the reasoning behind his Order: “Due to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala …
Texas Challenges Biden Administration’s Minimum Staffing Mandate in Court
Previously published in Healthcare News The State of Texas filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on August 16, 2024, seeking to vacate a rule requiring nursing homes that receive federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid to meet certain minimum staffing requirements. The lawsuit alleges that because 97% of all nursing homes participate in these programs, the Final Rule …
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Healthcare in Crisis: Exploring Immigration as a Vital Solution for the United States
Previously published in Healthcare News and Healthcare Michigan. A recent commentary offers a stark glimpse into future healthcare demands (Harris & Marshall, 2024). During the first two years of the pandemic, the U.S. economy saw a loss of 400,000 workers in residential care facilities and nursing. Presently, there remains a shortage of approximately 130,000 workers …
Practice Buy-Sell Agreements: Drafters Beware
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 41, No. 5 My prior article addressed tax issues in repurchasing equity in physicians and other practice groups. This article provides information about drafting buy-sell agreements for practice entities that include provisions for repurchasing equity from owners. These agreements limit an owner’s ability to transfer equity and require its sale …
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Navigating Noncompetes in Health Care: Understanding the FTC’s Impact
Dickinson Wright attorney Kim Ruppel recently participated in The Risky Health Care Business Podcast, where she and host Scott Nelson delved into the intricate world of noncompetes and their ramifications for both health care professionals and organizations. This article encapsulates the insights from that conversation. Understanding Noncompete Agreements Noncompete agreements have long been a fixture …
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A State-Based Cure – Interested Government Agency J-1 Waivers for Physicians
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 41, No. 1 Recently, the president of the American Medical Association, Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, stated in a national address that the physician shortage long-feared is here and that “It’s an urgent crisis…hitting every corner of this country—urban and rural—with the most direct impacting hitting families with high needs and limited …
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Top Issues in Negotiating Physician Employment Agreements
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 40, No. 12 Successful negotiation of physician employment agreements requires a careful balance of the objectives of the prospective employer with those of the prospective employee while ensuring that the negotiated agreement complies with the federal and state laws that apply to agreements of this type. The prospective employer wants …
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Major Nursing Shortages? Foreign National Nursing Intervention as a Plan of Care.
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 40, No. 11 The nursing profession’s vital signs are unstable and require an intervention. The single largest occupation of health care workers is Registered Nurses (RN). It is also the fifth largest profession nationally.[1] Yet the nursing profession is facing extreme shortages as the need for health care workers grows. Specifically, …
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