
The Proposed Rule
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed rule to ban most noncompete agreements nationwide. With very limited exceptions, the sweeping rule forbids any contractual term between an employer and a worker that has the effect of preventing the worker from accepting employment with a competitor, or operating a competitive business, after the conclusion of the worker’s employment with the employer. The proposed rule also includes an expansive definition of “worker” — including employees, independent contractors, interns, and even volunteers — and includes no exception for executive or highly compensated employees. The comment period for the rules ended April 29, 2023, and the FTC is expected to issue its final rule — which may or may not be as expansive as the proposed rule — in April 2024.
The Healthcare Industry’s Impact on the Proposed Rule
The FTC focused on healthcare and physicians when drafting its proposed rule, reportedly looking to a 2017 paper published in Management Science titled “Screening Spinouts,” which evaluated the economic effects of noncompete agreements in the healthcare industry. And according to FTC Chairperson Lina Khan, the healthcare industry has given more feedback on the proposed rule than any other sector. Of note, the American Hospital Association (AHA) has criticized the FTC’s proposed rule, highlighting the negative impact it will have on retention in for-profit hospitals, while the American Medical Association (AMA), the country’s largest physician professional organization, has adopted an official position in support of the rule.
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