Dive Brief:
- Median total cash compensation for primary care doctors rose 5.7% between 2012 and 2013, while medical and surgical specialty compensation rates saw lower increases, according to a study by Sullivan, Cotter and Associates.
- Median total cash compensation increases for medical and surgical specialists were 3.2% and 2.2% respectively, which bucks the trend given that specialists usually receive higher pay raises year-over-year than PCPs.
- According to a press release from Sullivan Cotter, many trends are encouraging higher pay for PCPs, including an emphasis on preventive care, population health management and cost control.
Dive Insight:
As demand for primary care services grows -- something that's inevitable under current trends -- it's a given that there will be some compression between primary care and specialists care wages. After all, it's as simple as supply and demand. If key stakeholders have decided that care coordination in a primary care setting is the best way to save money and keep patients out of the hospital, their asking price will go up. The question is whether primary care wages will continue to grow and what will determine the rate at which they grow. This one's a nail-biter.