From 2009 to 2010, many physicians saw increases, even if small ones, in their compensation, according to Medical Group Management Association’s (MGMA) Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data.
Of the 15 primary and specialty care specialties sampled in the press release about the survey, five – gastroenterology, obstetrics/gynecology, ophthalmology, diagnostic radiology and urology – saw decreases. Urology saw the biggest decrease, of 4.66 percent, to a median compensation of $372,455.
Emergency medicine is the specialty with the largest increase, 5.65 percent, to $277,297 in median compensation. The lowest increase, 0.39 percent, was found for pediatric/adolescent medicine, with median compensation of $192,148.
MGMA's Physician Compensation and Production Survey Report provides data on nearly 60,000 providers in more than 150 specialties.
The report also revealed compensation discrepancies regionally. Primary care median compensation in all regions was fairly close, with median compensation for primary care specialties in the east being the lowest at $194,409 and the southern areas the highest at $216,170. Specialty care median compensation ranged from $305,575 in the east to $404,000 in southern areas.
“A number of factors may attribute to regional differences in physician compensation," said MGMA Health Care Consulting Group’s Jeffrey B. Milburn, MBA, CMPE, in a statement. “The supply and demand for primary care or specialty physicians may influence compensation. A high level of competition between groups or specific specialties may provide an opportunity for payers to reduce reimbursement. In states where payers have little competition, reimbursement and subsequent physician compensation may be lower.
“Location desirability is another factor influencing competition and compensation," Milburn added. "Some areas have a much higher ratio of physicians to population, and one might think this would lead to increased competition and lower compensation. But, the usual laws of supply and demand aren’t always at work in healthcare.”