Published in

Writers Guild

4 min readAug 28, 2017

Doctors are Working as Contractors, But There’s a Better Option

According to a staffing firm that helps physicians work as hourly contractors instead of getting a full-time job, the number of doctors now working as freelancers has doubled since 2002 to 48,000. The firm says that number could double again in the coming decade.

Many doctors are fed up with the long hours they work in managed care systems, and no longer want to wait for insurance reimbursement to get paid for the procedures they perform.

It’s understandable that many physicians want the flexibility and freedom that comes with being an independent contractor. But what is unfortunate is that these doctors are deciding against opening their own independent practices.

Doctors who contract as independents are finding that hospital systems are more than ready to hire them on an hourly basis, as the country’s physician shortage is leaving providers in a bind. Since the hourly work is plentiful, why deal with the hassle of opening an independent practice?

Physicians in independent practice have staggering overhead costs, as well as mountains of compliance matters and other paperwork to deal with. Why not just get paid hourly?

The fact is, if more of these doctors opened clinics and independent offices, it would have a beneficial effect on the whole country’s healthcare system. Working as a contractor only helps the doctor.

With more independent practices, more doctors remain in communities that need them the most. These doctors will be in a position to form long-term bonds with these patients, which will lead to better healthcare.

Independent practices can also be job creators, as new practice-management systems offer a hands-on approach that means workers with a high school education can get work entering data.

The more independent practice also means more choice for consumers, a necessary ingredient for the health of our economy and our healthcare system.

It’s very understandable that doctors are shying away from opening independent offices, and are choosing to work instead as contractors.

Rather than let this situation continue, we should be lessening the burden on independent practices. So that it becomes just as attractive a proposition as freelance work has become.

We need to think in terms of removing obstacles for these physicians.

What if the cost of complying with regulators and with value-based care initiatives could be brought in line? What if independent physicians had the support they need to maintain certifications and complete other paperwork without taking time away from treating patients?

Improvements like this are possible if independent physicians have more than software to rely upon. With better practice management, the independent practice could be just as attractive as contract work. And that would be better for the healthcare system.

If independent practices use management systems that combine technology and human effort, they can cut costs and reduce the administrative burden.

This would be better for everyone, because consumers will be able to form lasting bonds with their physicians, and will have choices in healthcare that extend beyond the managed care system.

It’s time we demand a more hands-on system of practice management. Doctors working as contractors should not reject the idea of independent practice. Let’s make independent practice more attractive, so physicians will embrace it.