Becker's ASC Review

12 ASC MANAGEMENT How physician pay in the US compares to physician pay in other countries: 11 findings By Alan Condon P hysicians in the U.S. on average earn far more than their counterparts in other countries and rank significantly higher in terms of net worth, according to Medscape's "International Physician Com- pensation Report." e survey, released Aug. 20, includes responses from physicians in the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil and Mexico. Respondents were all full-time practicing physicians. Eleven findings: 1. On average, physicians in the U.S. earned the most ($316,000) per year, followed by Germany ($183,000) and the U.K. ($138,000). Physicians in Mexico earned the least at $12,000. 2. In terms of net worth, U.S. physicians are significantly ahead of their counterparts in other countries. e average net worth of physicians in the U.S. is $1.7 million, ac- cording to the survey. Physicians in the U.K. ranked second with an average net worth of $657,000, and those in Mexico had an average net worth of $67,000. 3. Fiy-nine percent of U.S. physicians surveyed said that they felt fairly compensated, the high- est among countries surveyed. In Germany, 43 percent of physicians feel they are fairly compensated, compared to just 14 percent in Spain. 4. On average, primary care physicians in the U.S. earn $242,000 annually, the highest of any country surveyed. Second was Germany ($200,000) and last was Mexico ($70,000). 5. Specialists in the U.S. and Germany earn the most among the countries surveyed. On average, male specialists in the U.S. earn $376,000 per year, while female specialists earn $283,000, compared to $194,000 and $131,000 respectively in Germany. 6. e U.S. has the lowest specialist pay disparity, with male specialists earning 33 percent more than women. e highest gender pay gap occurs in France, where male specialists earn 63 per- cent more than women, the survey found. 7. Mortgages on one's primary home is the most common debt for physicians in the U.S. (64 percent), the U.K. (67 percent), Spain (49 percent), Germany (40 percent) and Italy (36 percent). At 52 percent, credit card debt is the leading debt among physicians in Mexico, according to the survey. 8. Of the U.S. physicians surveyed, 39 per- cent said that they use telemedicine in their practice. Physicians in the U.K. topped the list with 68 percent reporting the use of telemedicine. 9. Physicians everywhere voiced frustra- tions about paperwork and administrative burdens. In the U.S., 26 percent of physicians reported spending between one and nine hours a week on administrative tasks, and 19 percent reported dedicating more than 25 hours a week. 10. If given the option, 78 percent of physi- cians in the U.S. said they would choose medicine again, third behind physicians in Germany and Mexico, who tied at 79 percent. 11. Eighty-one percent of physicians in the U.S. said they would choose the same spe- cialty, the highest rate of any country. n $7M awarded to former pain center patient's family after alleged prescription denial: 5 details By Laura Dyrda S t. Matthew, Ky.-based Commonwealth Pain & Spine was ordered to pay millions of dollars to the family of a former patient after a physician at the clinic al- legedly cut the patient's pain medication prescription by 55 percent, according to a WDRB report. Five details: 1. Brent Slone was a patient of Commonwealth Pain & Spine beginning in January 2014 after he had been experiencing pain from severe injuries related to a 2011 car crash. 2. In July 2017, Mr. Slone underwent surgery in California and then returned to Louisville, Ky., where he was hospi- talized for a dislocated hip and given a small amount of pain medication. He sought an additional prescription from Commonwealth Pain and Spine in September. 3. Stephen Young, MD, of Commonwealth Pain & Spine, allegedly refused to write a prescription for the same amount of pain medication Mr. Slone was given in California and told Mr. Slone to wait six days for the next appointment. 4. Mr. Slone died by suicide hours after Dr. Young declined to prescribe additional pain medication. Mr. Slone's wife sued Commonwealth Pain & Spine in 2018. 5. The jury awarded Mr. Slone's family $7 million, accord- ing to the Aug. 30 report. n

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