The Myth that Contracts aren’t Negotiable

June 27, 2024April 19, 2015 by Justin Nabity

One of the biggest myths told to physicians in the early stages of a contract negotiation goes something like this: “The contract is just a routine form. We really don’t negotiate it.”

If we had a dollar for every time our team heard this repeated, we would be retired on a tropical beach far away by now! In truth, it’s a standard line used in every industry (and a pretty lame one at that).

Please don’t take it at face value.

If you are ever told something similar about your contract being non-negotiable, alarm bells should be going off because it’s a ruse and it’s not true. In reality, your employer hopes you’ll just take the contract as-is.

That would be the easiest thing for everyone involved, right?

Wrong.

It’s the path of least resistance.

Why You Should have a Lawyer Review your Employment Contract

March 16, 2023April 19, 2015 by Justin Nabity

The Importance of Contract Review Services

Many physicians believe they can review and negotiate an employment contract just as well as a lawyer. For sure, physicians are extremely intelligent, and can perform some of the tasks that lawyers do, but not all of them. There are at least three reasons that physicians should still engage a contract lawyer, even when they believe they can perform the review and negotiation themselves.

Common Misconceptions about Contract Review

June 27, 2024April 19, 2015 by Justin Nabity

What You Might Not Know About Your Contract

“I think the contract is mostly good – I just want you to focus on the non-compete clause and tail coverage.” We hear this frequently from our physician-clients. When we dig deeper with our clients, we find the following things to be true most of the time.

“Claims-made” vs. “Occurrence-based” Malpractice Insurance Coverage

October 18, 2022April 19, 2015 by Justin Nabity

Our physician-clients approach us with many questions regarding malpractice insurance coverage. The most common ones are “what kind of malpractice insurance is the employer providing me?” and “who will pay for tail coverage if I leave the employer?”

Nowadays, most employers pay for malpractice insurance for their practicing physicians, especially for beginning and non-shareholder physicians.

The details of the policy should be laid out in the physician employment contract and policy documents. So, relatively speaking, this issue is rarely negotiated – most of the time it’s already in the contract!

The Importance of Life and Disability Insurance

June 27, 2024April 19, 2015 by Justin Nabity

It may seem like just another added expense to pay each month, but Life and Disability Insurance is a necessity for physicians. We all have a bit of “It will never happen to me” syndrome, but this is a case where it’s definitely better to be safe than sorry.

As a physician, you probably carry a hefty student loan balance (unless you’ve paid it off, in that case, congratulations). You also probably make more money than your spouse. If an accident happens and you’re disabled, any debt you have won’t just disappear – even though your income may.

Malpractice in 2024: What Physicians Need to Know

August 5, 2025April 19, 2015 by Justin Nabity

Malpractice is one of those things you hope you’ll never deal with. For many doctors, it feels distant—something that happens to someone else. But the truth is that anyone can get sued, no matter how careful or well-meaning they are. And when it does, the costs—financial, emotional, and professional—can be high. The 2024 Physicians and … Read more

Taxes, Job Search and Malpractice Insurance Premiums

November 26, 2024April 19, 2015 by Justin Nabity

New Tax Legislation: How does it affect physicians?

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law on January 2, 2012. It includes new tax rates, restrictions on itemized deductions and exemptions, and extensions of certain deductions and credits. This act affects physicians the same way it affects others who make salaries approaching the law’s new limits.

For example, the new tax rate for married-filing-jointly taxpayers who make more than $450,000 in 2013 will rise to 39.5%. For those with taxable income of more than $450,000, capital gains rates will increase to as much as 20%. On the other hand, if you are still in residency or fellowship, and you happen to have some money available to buy a house, you might want to do that soon. The zero-percent capital gains rate is still in place for those who make less than $72,500 (joint) or $36,250 (single).

Physician Contracts, Disability Insurance and Investments

June 27, 2024April 19, 2015 by Justin Nabity

Contracts: Horrible Unexpected Results Of Casual Contracts

It’s tempting to trust your new employer and assume he or she has your best interests at heart. Employers are, after all, showing faith in you when they offer you a contract. However, it’s not uncommon for unexamined contracts to contain unintended pitfalls that make things go horribly wrong, sometimes long after you’ve been hired. That’s what happened to a physician in the Chicago area, as described in this article. How do you overcome contract dangers like this?

Physician Contract Negotiation: False Assumption

June 27, 2024April 19, 2015 by Justin Nabity

Don’t assume you cannot negotiate physician contracts

Most physicians who are finishing their training assume they will have little to no chance at negotiating with a potential employer. Seasoned physicians know from experience this is not true, even for first timers. Don’t get fooled by the employer’s first line of defense…”this is a standard physician contract…the same one we give everyone else…it is compliant with current state laws…and it will not be modified.”

Physician Interviews: Employment Surprises

June 27, 2024April 19, 2015 by Justin Nabity

Don’t let inadequate interviewing cause employment surprises

When asked, most physicians say they feel equipped for the medical aspect of their career, but not prepared to interview and negotiate successfully. Many choose to ignore this and enter their interviews unprepared. Often times this leads to anxiety and a lack of information which can result in unfortunate surprises once employment begins.
Other physicians recognize this problem, but either don’t know where to start or can’t find the time to adequately prepare. In all of these circumstances physicians would benefit from knowing the following 5 rules which are a part of the 15 Basic Principles for a First Interview found in the Physician Employment Interview Kit™.

The Importance of Contract Review Services

What You Might Not Know About Your Contract

New Tax Legislation: How does it affect physicians?

Contracts: Horrible Unexpected Results Of Casual Contracts

Don’t assume you cannot negotiate physician contracts

Don’t let inadequate interviewing cause employment surprises

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