(NPR) – “It has to do with the fact that our [insurance] contracts don’t pay as well as we think they should,” Carlan said. “The cost of everything is going up.”

Valley Medical Group is far from alone in this predicament. Thousands of primary care practices, a key gateway to the medical system, are fighting to remain financially viable — and independent.

In response, many of them are banding together to form Independent Physician Associations, or IPAs. The goal is to increase their market power, change the way they get paid, and remain in control of how they treat patients. (Read More)