Here are three key numbers related to compensation and practice management spine surgeons should be aware of going into 2024.
$844k: This is the average orthopedic spine surgeon salary nationwide is $844,422, according to the 2022 Medical Group Management Association Compensation & Production Report. Physicians Thrive noted some orthopedic spine surgeons make much more. Surgeons on the 90th percentile make $1.4 million while those on the other end of the spectrum, the 10th percentile, make $468,787, according to MGMA.
7: Seven states have been targeting noncompetes in 2023. Noncompetes have been an area of concern for some spine surgeons, who worry the clauses could negatively affect patient care and physician autonomy.
3.4%: This is the drop in Medicare's conversion factor for physicians under its 2024 rule. Spine surgeons have been critical of the move, saying that the declining pay could interfere with access to care.
"I believe this will accelerate current trends," said Harel Deutsch, MD, co-director of the Rush Spine Center in Chicago. "Physicians in private practice will not be able to sustain a practice treating Medicare patients. There will be decreased access to care for Medicare patients and generally more treatment through nurse practitioners and physician assistants."