The highs and lows of clinically integrated networks

Many independent practice owners today are in a difficult bind. They want to maintain their autonomy, but to survive they need greater resources to compete with hospital systems and large multi-specialty practices. Moreover, antitrust laws prohibit them from negotiating jointly to obtain better payer contracts.

So how can these practices stay in business without sacrificing their independence? One solution lies in forming or joining a clinically integrated network (CIN). These entities can negotiate payer contracts on behalf of their participants without violating antitrust laws. At the same time, they provide practices with many of the services and resources enjoyed by larger healthcare organizations.

One CIN that has...