MGMA Data Breaks Down Physician Compensation

New data from the Medical Group Management Association shows wide disparities in physician on-call compensation, and differences in how medical directors are paid stipends for their additional duties.


New data from the Medical Group Management Association shows wide disparities in physician on-call compensation, and differences in how medical directors are paid stipends for their additional duties.

Daily compensation for on-call coverage ranges from $75 to $2,400 depending on the specialty, according to MGMA data covering nearly 4,000 providers in 295 groups. Specialty surgeons had median on-call compensation of $1,000 compared with $150 for primary care physicians. More than 35 percent received a daily stipend for their on-call work, while 12 percent got an annual stipend and 7 percent were paid via an hourly stipend.

Other MGMA data covering the compensation of medical directors finds 42 percent of 1,422 surveyed receive an hourly rate for their director duties, 30 percent get a monthly stipend and 25 percent receive an annual stipend. Forty percent reported their duties are tied to improving quality metrics such as length of stay, safety, patient satisfaction, CMS core measures, compliance, re-admissions and staff/provider satisfaction.

Online access to a deep data dive on these surveys and other physician compensation reports is available for purchase on the MGMA Web site.