Income guarantees are an easy way to screw doctors. It’s just a loan. Completely different from a guaranteed base salary.
Disagree.
It is an interest-free, forgivable loan to start YOUR practice. Hospitals can not require you to even work at that hospital. Instead they have to require you to work in the primary service area of the hospital. Your repayment is time and it’s usually only 2-3 years while you’re being fully paid in private practice.
In my case, in 2009, I got an income guarantee for $270,000/yr which was $22,500/mo. At the end of every month I’d show the hospital my receipts for collections (not billed). They took $22,500 minus collections and wrote me a check for the difference within 10 days.
They also gave me up to $48,000/yr in allowable business expense reimbursement (health insurance, malpractice, billing, legal, etc).
Then I got a clinic provided by the hospital (which isn’t required to get the agreement) and all staff and overhead covered.
Additionally, I received $20,000 for relocation.
My repayment was 2 years inside the service area. If I left early, the total amount of the $$ taken would be calculated as a loan and prorated by 24 months and I’d have to pay back the percent that I left early. (Interest would start at that point on the remaining amount, but was set to the fed)
Try to get the same deal from a bank!
You also complain about negative consequences of being an associate (I agree with those). But try getting this same deal from another podiatrist!
Funny enough, everyone I ever recruited, I advocated for, and got them, the same deal I got.
Everything in the profession (in this case private practice medicine) can’t be negative, can it?
So instead, why not say … that’s not a bad deal? And compared to what your complaints are about other offers … this is a great deal.
And I was “out of my guarantee” at 5 months. Meaning in 5 months my monthly collections were more than $22,500 and there was no difference for the hospital to pay. However, the allowable business expense reimbursement continued for the year.
It’s a great deal and make sure you get a good lawyer that knows these agreements. Never sign one without negotiating it. If you need recommendations on good California attorneys for Income Guarantees and Provider Service Agreements, send me a PM.