A primer on how to analyze contracts and avoid the traps.

Contracts from preferred provider organizations, health maintenance organizations, independent practice associations, and managed health plans present numerous problems for primary care physicians. The ability to understand the terms and conditions is an essential part of the practice of medicine today. Additionally, physicians need to involve experts in the preparation of counterproposals that will render contracts fair and equitable for physicians. The blind acceptance of a contract may dramatically increase a physician's liability exposure. Although contracts have become a permanent fixture in the current health care delivery environment, physicians can formulate informed and intelligent responses. They and their office personnel can learn basic analysis techniques of such documents that will aid in surviving the onslaught of contracts.