Doctor Pay Hits $232,000 As Quality Gains More Meaning In ACA Era

Primary care physician pay rose slightly to more than $232,000 while specialists’ compensation rose to more than $402,000 as insurers paid them based more on quality of care provided rather than volume.

The latest data from the Medical Group Management Association, the largest organization of doctor practices in the U.S., said median compensation rose to $232,989 in 2013 for primary care doctors while a similarly slight increase for specialists to $402,233.  By comparison, MGMA’s 2013 report showed median primary care compensation in 2012 at $220,942 and specialist pay at $396,233.

Though doctors are still operating largely in a fee-for-service environment, that is rapidly changing as insurers , employers and government health programs under the Affordable Care Act move doctor compensation away from a traditional system that rewards providers with fees no matter the outcome to rewards based on quality, transparency and accountability.

MGMA said primary care doctors who “indicated they were not part of an accountable care organization or a patient-centered medical home” reported an average of 5.96 percent of their compensation in 2012 was based on quality measures. Meanwhile, specialists reported that 5.7 percent of their compensation was based on quality metrics.