Provider Workforce & Compensation

Independent physician economics and workforce scope-of-practice are becoming immediate VBC pressure points: Avalere warns that Medicare physician payment updates and the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program’s MFP dynamics could further strain independent practices, raising consolidation risk and threatening ACO/network adequacy in underserved markets (Avalere). At the same time, states are using Rural Health Transformation Program momentum to modernize PA practice laws and expand PA autonomy in primary care, a near-term lever for health systems, ACOs, and Medicaid managed care plans facing access gaps and rising labor costs (Healthcare IT News). The strategic tension for VBC leaders is whether expanded team-based staffing can offset physician reimbursement pressure and potential independent-practice attrition before access, attribution stability, and quality performance deteriorate.