Physician compensation did not significantly increase in 2017, according to the AMGA 2018 Medical Group Compensation and Productivity Survey.
AMGA surveyed more than 270 large multispecialty medical groups and integrated health systems to get responses from 105,000 clinical providers. The average number of providers per participant group was approximately 380. Approximately 72 percent of respondents were AMGA members.
Here are five findings:
1. Compensation for orthopedic surgeons increased 0.9 percent while compensation per work relative value unit decreased 0.3 percent.
2. On average, physician productivity by a weighted average saw a 1.63 percent decline. Physicians reported an average 0.89 percent increase in compensation.
3. This is the first year physician compensation increased by less than 2 percent in more than 10 years. The average change in median compensation in all medical specialties was up 1.2 percent.
4. Compensation increases for other specialties include:
" Cardiac/Thoracic surgery: 6.4 percent increase
" Emergency medicine: 1 percent increase
" General surgery: 0.7 percent increase
" OB/GYN: 0.9 percent increase
" Ophthalmology: 2.3 percent decrease
" Otolaryngology: 0.4 percent increase
" Urology: 0.1 percent decrease
5. A reason for the stagnant compensation increases has not been determined. AMGA suggested the burdens of EHR use, patient complexity as well as administrative and compliance requirements may be potential factors.