Docs in large or specialty groups earn more on-call pay

Larger and specialty physician practices command--and charge more--to provide on-call services to hospitals and other provider organizations, concludes the Medical Group Management Association's latest survey.

According to the results, anesthesiologists earn $660 per day for on-call services if they practice in a group with 25 or more physicians, vs. $450 per day if they are in a practice with 25 or fewer full-time physicians.

The dollar gap is even larger with general surgeons, who earn $1,475 per day for on-call work if they're in a larger medical group, compared to $1,000 per day among those in a smaller medical group.

Single-specialty groups also held an economic advantage. OBGYNs in a single-specialty practice commanded a $500 daily on-call rate, double what they earn in a multi-specialty practice. And invasive cardiologists received a 33 percent premium if they belonged to a single-specialty practice.

"Physicians realize the value of their time and services and are negotiating compensation for on-call coverage," said Jeffrey B. Milburn of the MGMA Health Care Consulting Group.

Specialties had a distinct impact on on-call compensation. Cardiologists commanded the highest daily on-call pay of $1,600, more than three times the $520 on-call rate commanded by urologists.

For more:
- read the MGMA news release and data