Independent physicians are struggling to find equal footing with employed doctors, as they’re often reimbursed notably less than their hospital- or health system-affiliated counterparts, according to a new survey.
In its 2016 Fee Schedule Survey, Physicians Practice found that doctors affiliated with a hospital or health network are paid about $74 on average for office visits coded for new patients, while independent doctors are paid about an average of $58.40. That gap exists for visits with established patients as well; employed physicians are paid an average of $58.70 compared, to about $43.10 for independent doctors.
