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Physician Comp is Skyrocketing. Are Doctors Worth Their Price Tag?

Analysis  |  By Amanda Norris  
   January 15, 2025

As physician salaries soar amid a worsening shortage, healthcare executives are grappling with whether these costs are sustainable or if alternative care team models can ease the financial strain.

Welcome to our HealthLeaders January 2025 cover story. Each month, our editors dive into the topics that matter most—such as healthcare innovation, leadership strategies, payer/provider wars, and patient care—delivered in a dynamic, engaging format.

What did we look at this month? It’s all about physicians.

The escalating costs of employing physicians have become a financial fault line in healthcare. As doctor salaries climb ever higher—driven by an unrelenting physician shortage and skyrocketing demand—healthcare executives are facing a critical dilemma: Are these massive expenditures truly sustainable?

While these high salaries reflect the critical role physicians play in patient care, they also raise difficult questions about sustainability and the viability of other solutions.

Could advanced practice providers, technology-driven efficiencies, or new team-based care models help offset the escalating costs? If not, what's the solution?

This month, our CMO editor Chris Cheney explores the financial and operational dilemmas at the heart of modern healthcare, and the tough decisions leaders must make to balance quality care with fiscal responsibility.

Read the entire story here.

Amanda Norris is the Director of Content for HealthLeaders.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

The average compensation for doctors is only increasing.

With alternatives to employing physicians gaining steam, healthcare leaders are wondering if physicians are worth the cost.

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