IRS proposed "physician recruitment" revenue ruling offers few kernels in search for.

Not to sound corny, but things have really been popping since the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released a proposed revenue ruling regarding the scope of recruitment incentives that may be offered to nonemployee physician members of tax-exempt hospital medical staffs. Commentators have criticized the proposed revenue ruling, however, because it offers little in the way of guidance in all but the most obvious cases of recruitment violations. Nonetheless, the proposed ruling may provide insight that may assist hospitals to prepare permissible recruitment incentives for physicians. The IRS provided a public comment period within which individuals and groups could submit proposals to improve or revise the proposed ruling. However, with or without such comments, clarification of the ruling is called for. "Health Law" is a regular feature of Physician Executive from the Washington, D.C., law firm Epstein Becker & Green. Mark Lutes of the law firm serves as editor of the column.