Legal issues in medical practice acquisitions.

As the changing healthcare delivery environment places increased emphasis on primary care, many healthcare organizations are striving to broaden their base of primary care physicians. One method that organizations are using to accomplish this goal is acquisition of medical practices. Practice acquisitions require careful planning to address the complex legal issues involved, including possible violations of antikickback, self-referral, and antitrust laws. This article offers an overview of the acquisition process and a checklist of relevant legal issues.