AMA: Share of doctor-owned practices drops below 50%

For the first time, physicians who have an ownership stake in their practice are in the minority in the U.S., the American Medical Association reports.

The share of practice owners dropped to 47.1% in 2016, down from 53.2% in 2012, according to an updated AMA study on physician practice arrangements. During the same period, the share of physicians who worked for an employer increased from 41.8% to 47.1%.

Helping drive the shift were younger physicians, two-thirds of whom opted for employment over ownership in 2016.