The Chelle Law Physician Assistant Resource Library provides practical guidance to help physician assistants understand compensation structures, restrictive covenants, malpractice obligations, termination provisions, productivity models, supervision requirements, and other issues commonly found in PA employment and independent contractor agreements.
Developed by attorney Robert Chelle, these guides explain complex physician assistant contract and compensation issues in clear, practical language so PAs can better understand how an agreement may affect their income, professional responsibilities, and future employment options before signing, renewing, requesting changes to, or terminating a contract.
The library covers salary and productivity compensation, bonuses, non-compete clauses, malpractice and tail insurance, termination provisions, repayment obligations, independent contractor arrangements, supervision requirements, and other important terms of physician assistant contracts.
Compensation & Pay Models
Understand common physician assistant compensation structures, including salary, productivity incentives, RVUs, bonuses, negative accrual, and employee versus independent contractor pay arrangements.
RVU Compensation for Physician Assistants
Learn how RVU compensation works for PAs, including productivity thresholds, conversion factors, and how RVUs may affect total compensation.
Read guide →Physician Assistant Compensation Models Explained
Compare salary, productivity, hybrid, collections-based, and incentive compensation structures commonly used in PA employment agreements.
Read guide →Physician Assistant Productivity Bonuses Explained
Review how productivity bonuses may be calculated, when bonuses are paid, and contract provisions that can reduce or delay incentive compensation.
Read guide →Physician Assistant Base Salary vs. Production Pay
Compare guaranteed base compensation with production-based pay and understand how each structure can affect income stability and upside.
Read guide →Negative Accrual in Physician Assistant Contracts
Understand how production shortfalls can carry forward and reduce future bonuses under a negative accrual compensation model.
Read guide →W-2 vs. 1099 for Physician Assistants
Review important differences involving taxes, benefits, expenses, insurance, control, and contractual responsibilities.
Read guide →Physician Assistant Sign-On Bonus Repayment Terms
Review repayment triggers, forgiveness schedules, proration provisions, and circumstances that may require a PA to repay a signing bonus.
Read guide →Contract Terms & Risk Areas
Review important provisions that can affect a physician assistant’s compensation, schedule, termination rights, financial obligations, and future employment options.
Physician Assistant Contract Red Flags
Identify contract provisions that may create financial risk, restrict future employment, or impose significant obligations on the PA.
Read guide →Physician Assistant Employment Agreement Checklist
Use a practical checklist to review compensation, schedule, termination, malpractice, restrictive covenants, bonuses, and other major contract terms.
Read guide →Questions to Ask Before Signing a Physician Assistant Contract
Review important questions involving pay, productivity, scheduling, locations, supervision, insurance, restrictions, and termination before signing.
Read guide →Terminating a Physician Assistant Contract
Understand notice requirements, without-cause termination, for-cause provisions, repayment obligations, and post-employment restrictions before leaving.
Read guide →Physician Assistant Call Schedule and Coverage Requirements
Review call frequency, weekend and holiday coverage, additional compensation, scheduling expectations, and employer discretion.
Read guide →Restrictive Covenants
Learn how non-competes, non-solicitation clauses, and other restrictive covenants may limit a physician assistant’s employment options after leaving a practice.
Physician Assistant Non-Compete Agreements Explained
Review geographic scope, duration, covered activities, practice locations, triggering events, and other important non-compete provisions.
Read guide →Physician Assistant Non-Solicitation Clauses
Understand restrictions involving patients, employees, referral sources, business relationships, and other individuals or entities after employment.
Read guide →Restrictive Covenants in Physician Assistant Contracts
Review the different post-employment restrictions commonly found in PA contracts and how multiple restrictive covenants may operate together.
Read guide →Malpractice Insurance & Tail Coverage
Understand malpractice policy types, insurance limits, premium obligations, tail coverage, and how professional liability provisions may affect a PA after termination.
Malpractice Insurance for Physician Assistants
Review occurrence and claims-made coverage, policy limits, premium responsibility, exclusions, and other malpractice insurance provisions.
Read guide →Tail Insurance for Physician Assistants
Understand when tail coverage may be required, who is responsible for purchasing it, and how tail obligations can affect the cost of leaving an employer.
Read guide →Independent Contractor Agreements
Review contractual issues that can arise when a physician assistant works as an independent contractor rather than as a traditional W-2 employee.
Physician Assistant Contract Resources — Frequently Asked Questions
What Should a Physician Assistant Review Before Signing an Employment Contract?
A physician assistant should review compensation, productivity incentives, scheduling requirements, work locations, termination rights, restrictive covenants, malpractice coverage, tail insurance, signing bonuses, repayment obligations, and any other provisions that could affect compensation or future employment options.
How Are Physician Assistants Commonly Compensated?
Physician assistants may be paid through a fixed salary, hourly rate, productivity-based compensation, RVU-based compensation, collections-based incentives, bonuses, or a hybrid of several methods. The agreement should clearly explain how compensation is calculated, when it is paid, and whether any thresholds, deductions, or reconciliation provisions apply.
What Is RVU Compensation for Physician Assistants?
RVU compensation ties some or all of a physician assistant’s pay to productivity measured through relative value units. The contract should explain which RVUs count, the applicable conversion factor, any productivity threshold, how often production is measured, and when incentive compensation is paid.
What Contract Red Flags Should Physician Assistants Watch For?
Common concerns include unclear compensation formulas, negative accrual, broad non-competes, excessive notice requirements, large bonus repayment obligations, vague scheduling or location requirements, employer discretion to change compensation, and unclear malpractice or tail insurance responsibilities.
How Do Non-Compete Clauses Affect Physician Assistants?
A non-compete can restrict where or for whom a physician assistant may work after employment ends. Important terms include the duration, geographic scope, locations used to calculate the restriction, activities covered, triggering events, and whether state law limits or prohibits the restriction.
What Should a PA Contract Say About Malpractice and Tail Insurance?
The agreement should identify the type of malpractice coverage provided, policy limits, who pays the premium, whether tail coverage may be required after employment ends, and who is responsible for the cost of any required tail coverage.
What Is the Difference Between W-2 and 1099 Physician Assistant Agreements?
A W-2 physician assistant is generally treated as an employee, while a 1099 physician assistant is treated as an independent contractor. The arrangements can differ significantly in taxes, benefits, expenses, insurance obligations, control over work, and contractual responsibilities, so the agreement should clearly define the relationship.
When Should a Physician Assistant Have a Contract Reviewed?
A physician assistant should consider review before signing a new employment or independent contractor agreement, accepting a renewal or amendment, agreeing to a compensation change, or signing a termination-related document. Review is most useful while there is still an opportunity to clarify or negotiate important terms.
Have Your Physician Assistant Contract Reviewed
Attorney Robert Chelle provides attorney-led physician assistant contract reviews to help protect your compensation structure, restrictive covenants, malpractice obligations, and long-term career flexibility.
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