Thus, even though there was termination language of 180 days, in this particular contract the physician may be bound for 365 days to continue to provide care at the contracted rates. Read the termination clauses carefully, not only the times but also the agreement to continue coverage. Most insurers appropriately require that you continue coverage for hospital patients or for patients who are in active therapy until the condition is stabilized. One of the interesting clauses in many contracts is the ability of the insurer to utilize your name, address and information in their promotional brochure yet your use of the company s name, trademark or any information without written consent of the company is restricted. This is certainly a very unilateral issue and one you should look at and be aware of prior to signing.
Most contracts have language regarding assignability of contracts.
In most cases the insurer can assign your contract to other individuals, subsidiaries or future corporations. However, most contracts indicate that you may not assign your contract to others without permission of the insurer. Again, this is a very unilateral statement you should be aware of when reviewing contracts. The final issue is the requirement that physicians have admitting privileges at a contracting hospital. With some family physicians now using hospitalists to care for inpatients, the issue of admitting privileges at a hospital may be one which needs to be addressed during the contracting process.