Jed said the trend might be due, in part, to changes in state law. "Traditionally, Texas has been on of a handful of states that has prohibited physicians from working as employees for corporations, [and] hospitals or medical groups," he said. "But over the past 15 years, the Texas Legislature has issued a number of exceptions to this rule, which have made it easier for these and other institutions to hire physicians directly." Jed said a tightening of regulations and declining reimbursements from Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance may also be contributing factors. "In the end, physicians just want to treat patients," he said. "They would rather work for a hospital or medical group where there is a steady paycheck and minimal regulatory burdens to deal with to be able to focus on their work." Jed has practiced healthcare law for over 30 years. Prior to moving to San Antonio, he was Republican Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee, and was later counsel to the Healthcare Financing Administration (now CMS) in the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. Jed focuses on the regulatory and transactional aspects of healthcare law. He has extensive background in Medicare and Medicaid regulatory and reimbursement issues, fraud and abuse, including Stark, False Claims Act, and anti-kickback laws, state law issues such as corporate practice of medicine and licensing matters, as well as antitrust and managed care issues. In that capacity, in 2000-2001 Jed served as Special Outside Counsel to the Texas Attorney General for managed care matters.