Instead of terminating the contract, try to discern what the payer really wants from the IPA, then try to deliver it. If a termination must occur, make sure each doctor votes independently and not as an IPA group. For those that do terminate, inform the payer which doctors have decided to terminate their contract and that the payer is free to negotiate with those doctors individually. This gives each party an opportunity to work with each other outside the confines of the IPA format. If the contract is ultimately terminated, it is the doctor s own decision.
Accurate documentation is of the utmost importance.
Due to busy schedules, it is often easy to forget how important it is to document correspondence and events. However, these materials could be used against the IPA during an investigation. At the end of the IPA s first year of operation and every other year thereafter, a qualified attorney should review all IPA activities, correspondence, and documentation. This type of independent review should help keep the IPA in compliance with antitrust guidelines. Watch what you say.