Taxonomy of Physician Group Structures
Physician groups are categorized primarily by their specialty focus and legal arrangement.
Single-Specialty Groups: Consist of two or more physicians in the same field (e.g., a group of cardiologists). They foster deep expertise but may lack the "one-stop-shop" referral convenience of larger entities.
Multispecialty Groups: These provide a range of services, often combining primary care with specialists like oncologists and surgeons. This model supports integrated care and "leakage" prevention—keeping patient referrals within the same organization.
Independent Practice Associations (IPAs): A "network" of independent physicians who remain separate businesses but contract together with payers to gain better bargaining power.
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