Quality measures and patient satisfaction are increasingly being tied to a proportion of physicians’ reimbursement, according to a new report from the Medical Group Management Association-American College of Medical Practice Executives (MGMA-ACMPE), “Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2013 Report Based on 2012 Data.”
Although the percentages are still small, this trend will likely increase with time. “Quality and patient satisfaction metrics are not yet dominant components of physician compensation plans right now; however, as reimbursement models continue to shift, the small changes we’ve observed recently will gain momentum,” said Susan L. Turney, MD, MS, FACMPE, FACP, MGMA-ACMPE President and CEO. “It’s encouraging to see physician practices invested in patient-centered care and continuing to seek ways to better incorporate quality and experience into compensation methodologies.”
According to the survey, 3% of the total compensation of primary care physicians was based on quality measures compared with 2% for specialists, including oncologists. This is the first time that quality metrics are being captured by a large national survey such as the MGMA-ACMPE survey. Patient satisfaction also played a small role in physicians’ reimbursement, representing the increasing role of patient-centered care.
The median compensation for physicians clearly fluctuates by specialty. The median compensation for primary care physicians was $216,462 compared with a median of $388,199 for specialists. MGMA-ACMPE; June 12, 2013
