Primary care doctor pay jumps past $200K as reform, market push new pay methods

Compensation of primary care physicians—now at more than $200,000—grew at a faster rate than specialists over the last five years, a sign that those who hire health professionals are putting a greater emphasis on lower cost outpatient care, a new study shows. The analysis of physician pay by the Medical Group Management Association indicates a greater shift to lower-cost primary care as employers, insurance companies and government health programs try to provide financial incentives to health professionals who work in outpatient care settings.