Vermont's State Senate recently passed a bill aimed at helping independent physicians earn more, according to VT Digger.
Here are five things to know:
1. Independent physicians say insurance companies pay hospital-employed physicians two to three times more for the similar services.
2. The bill would implement plans to reduce pay disparities between independent physicians and academic medical center physicians by the "maximum achievable" amount in the next three years.
3. The bill's authors claim low pay is a reason independent physicians leave Vermont or sell their practices to hospitals.
4. Vermont State Senate passed H.29 after pay parity language was added to it. The House must now vote on the Senate's changes.
5. Hospitals, insurance companies and the chairs of two State Senate committees advocated against the bill's passage.
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