Here are 10 payment statistics and updates for neurosurgeons according to Neurosurgery Market Watch.
1. The average annual compensation for neurosurgeons was $728,006 in the AMGA 2015 compensation report, up from $701,399 in the previous year's report. The average median compensation for neurosurgeons was $747,066 in 2015, up from the 2014 report when the average compensation was $710,000.
2. The average compensation for neurosurgeons in single-specialty neurosurgery practices was $752,141, more than those in multispecialty groups at $737,849. The hospital-employed neurosurgeons had the highest compensation in the NERVES survey.
3. The NERVES Socio-Economic Study 2014 report showed the average neurosurgeon salary dropped 9.8 percent between 2013 and 2014; there was a decline for neurosurgeons in private practice, hospital-employed practices and academic practices.
4. There was a 10 percent decline in the average work RVUs this year according to the AMGA report. The NERVES survey also found a 7 percent decline in work RVUs.
5. There was a 9 percent drop in collections, according to the NERVES survey; the AMGA reported similar findings with a drop in the average net collections from an average of $907,054 in 2014, compared with $790,735 in 2015.
6. There is reason for optimism for independence in neurosurgery practices. Despite challenges from insurance companies and reimbursement, there is high demand for neurosurgery, according to the report. The practice ancillary services and non-direct patient care accounted for 21 percent of neurosurgeon compensation last year.
7. Average pay for neurosurgeons on call was $2,448 per day in 2014, a 13 percent increase over the previous year in the NERVES survey.
8. Twenty-two percent of neurosurgery practices reported participating in accountable care organizations shared savings programs last year, up 11 percent from 2012.
9. The regional breakdown for neurosurgeon compensation according to the MGMA study is:
• Midwest: $850,000
• Southern: $750,718
• Western: $736,838
• Eastern: $683,822
10. More than half — 55 percent of practices — now track neurosurgeons' clinical quality and outcomes data.