FTC approves IPA model

When the Federal Trade Commission gave its blessing to the Greater Rochester (NY) Independent Practice Association (GRIPA) last month, it was only the second time a clinically-integrated IPA had gotten the agency's blessing. Nonetheless, physicians that want to bid on contracts jointly while maintaining independent practices have reasons to be pleased.

As agencies typically do, the FTC has denied that the GRIPA decision should serve as a template for other IPAs. Still, others think that groups can benefit from looking at how GRIPA was structured. Key features of the group's operations include having electronic clinical data sharing, procedures for developing clinical guidelines, systems in place to monitor compliance and methods for imposing sanctions if physicians aren't following the rules.

To find out more about the FTC decision:
- read this Modern Physician piece [1]

Related Articles:
Case study: IPA improves pediatric asthma, P4P income. Report [2]
FTC uses leverage to step up antitrust scrutiny. Report [3]