Average annual hospital revenue generated by family physicians rose more than 24% from 2010 to 2013, according to a survey by physician job placement firm Merritt Hawkins.
This increase "may be a result of the recent trend toward hospital employment of doctors," the survey authors noted, adding that primary care physicians employed by hospitals "may be more likely to divert tests, therapies, and other services ‘in-house’ to their hospital employer, rather than to outside resources such as radiology groups or labs."
Average revenue of $2.07 million was reported for family physicians in 2013, up from $1.66 million in 2010 and the highest seen since the survey began. By comparison, hospital revenue generated was $1.57 million for all primary care physicians and almost $1.42 million for all specialists in 2013. The specialists’ average is the lowest Merritt Hawkins has reported since it started the survey in 2002 and is lower than the primary care average for the first time ever, the report noted.
The average net revenue generated for all physicians was $1.45 million – a drop of 6.2% from 2010 and, again, the lowest average since the survey began, Merritt Hawkins said in its analysis.
The survey was sent to 5,500 hospitals in January 2013 and was completed by 102 hospital chief financial executives.
