NPR's Jenny Gold takes a closer look at hospitals' thirst for physician practices and the steady stream of patients they bring with them. But today's trend differs from the failed strategies of the 1990s.

Because hospitals often put the doctors on flat salaries without the financial incentive to see more patients, doctors "weren't working as hard as they were before their practice was acquired." In fact, Jessee adds, "the first thing a lot of physicians did is take a vacation."