New doctor in CHICAGO, already getting discouraged-should I accept HMO's?

[Guest guest]

Ok, so I was already crazy enough to open my solo family practice

clinic last month in a lower/middle working class suburb of Chicago

after completing residency July '07. Now I'm wondering if I should

join my hospital's PHO? I'm getting many many opinions, and couldn't

hurt to have more. There is no fee for service, the capitation is $10

per patient per month, and are there ANY OTHER questions I should ask

the group about compensation? It's 6000 lives, not sure of the bonus

structure, and otherwise a typical PHO. Since I'm new and a fairly

empty clinic, the hospital says it would be great if I joined the

physician run program so I build " traffic " in my clinic and get a

monthly " guaranteed " income, although another physician in the PHO

says these patients tend to be train recks. Currently, I have no

staff, not sure if I need to hire anybody now since I don't have high

volume. I'm already accepting Medicare and Medicaid. Would love some

advice. Also, does anybody know of a solo " support " group in Chicago

that a young physician like me can join for help?

I didn't realize how lonely and disheartening this quest would be.