FREE — RED FLAG CONTRACT CHECKLIST
The contract provisions that quietly cost you.
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RED FLAG CHECKLIST · RADIOLOGY
The contract provisions
that quietly cost you.
Data. Leverage. Fair pay.
Study volume + subspecialty · specialty-specific
The provisions below are the ones most likely to cost radiology physicians money, mobility, or leverage. Read each item against your contract and mark whether it is present, missing, or unclear. A single CRITICAL finding warrants careful review before signing.
THE RED FLAGS
5 CRITICAL · 8 HIGH · 2 MODERATE
wRVU rate with no named benchmark
A dollar-per-wRVU rate with no reference to 2025 national benchmarks gives the employer full discretion to call any rate market without contractual standard.
No minimum study volume guarantee
Without a floor on study volume or hours, the employer controls your income by controlling worklist routing and assignment — earnings drop without breach.
Claims-made malpractice, no tail commitment
Silence leaves who pays unresolved. Ask for employer-paid tail in writing for resignation, termination and nonrenewal; confirm the policy terms.
Termination without cause under 90 days
Hospital privileging and payor enrollment run 90–120 days. A 30- or 60-day without-cause window leaves no time to credential, relocate, or replace income.
Compensation model not clearly specified
If salary vs. wRVU vs. per-study vs. hybrid is ambiguous, the model can shift at renewal — a guaranteed base silently converting to production-only is the classic pattern.
Modality mix unilaterally assignable
Language permitting the employer to redistribute high-RVU modalities (cross-sectional, IR, neuro) at discretion converts your case mix into something materially less productive without compensation adjustment.
Teleradiology call burden undefined
Specify the number of call shifts per month, overnight vs. day coverage, study volume expectation per shift, and per-shift rate. Uncapped tele call is one of the largest unpaid-work exposures in radiology.
Bonus threshold not tested against your workload
Test the threshold against your credited production, workload and payout period. Model low, expected and high-production payouts before counting the bonus as income.
Non-compete over 25 miles or 2 years
Hospital and imaging center contracts consolidate at the system level. An aggressive radius can shut you out of an entire metro region for the restriction period.
No subspecialty premium or split
Subspecialty reads (neuro, MSK, IR, body) drive disproportionate revenue. Without a written subspecialty differential or split, you absorb the value while the group captures it.
Unilateral schedule modification rights
Employer-discretion language over shift type, site assignment, and on-site vs. remote work strips your control over working life and family planning.
No rate escalation clause
Without annual increases tied to inflation or a benchmark percentile, real compensation declines every year you remain. A flat multi-year rate is a multi-year pay cut.
Equipment and PACS not employer-provided
If home reading station, PACS license, or EHR access is your responsibility, the cost runs into thousands per year. Require employer-provided hardware, licenses, and IT support in writing.
Sign-on clawback with no pro-ration
Full repayment regardless of tenure treats the bonus as a leash rather than compensation. Negotiate pro-rata over 24 months and a waiver on without-cause termination.
Restrictive moonlighting clause
Broad bans on outside reading work or locum coverage cap earning potential and remove income diversification. Restrict only true conflicts — same hospital, same imaging center.
For informational purposes only. Does not constitute legal advice.
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