Hey, DU doctors, how many of you work on salary?

[RoseMead]

Or if that's too personal, could you say, generally, how many doctors who work in hospitals in the US are salaried as opposed to hourly workers? This is part of today's ongoing discussion with a friend about the VA. He's now claiming that VA doctors work on salary unlike other doctors in other hospitals, and that they also have to meet quotas, and that both of these things negatively affect care at VA hospitals.

As far as I'm concerned, insurance companies have their own quotas in place, so even if the VA also works on quotas, that argument is a wash at best. But the salary thing - I guess I always figured all doctors are salaried, unless they're in private practice. So far, Google's giving me information about how doctors' salaries are going up, but no breakdown on how many doctors are salaried vs hourly.

Any thoughts?

[MichaelHarris]

1. my

wife is salaried in the hospital, in private practice she was salaried but chose her own salary. She would have to work longer to make that salary plus overhead. With insurances paying less she had to work longer hours. In the end she lowered her salary. What will bankrupt doctors is insurances, not patients.

Doctor's salaries are not going up, they may want more but insurance reimbursements are going down. If a doctor billed you for lesion that needed to be removed. 20 minute visit. 70 dollars for the visit, 200 dollars for the procedures which includes labs. The total is 270 dollars. now she has to pay the nurse, the rent, the consumables, etc... The insurance would give her 85 dollars. See why they want more?

[RoseMead]

2. I actually worked in billing for a doctor's office

so I totally understand what you're saying about costs and reimbursement. I have no problem with doctors wanting to be fairly reimbursed for their services.

The question was about how many doctors work on salary as opposed to being hourly workers, because my friend seems to think that VA workers being salaried is something different from how it works in private hospitals, and that this is a bad thing. Thanks for the information about your wife; that's one for salary vs hourly. :)

[SharonAnn]

3. The doctors I know who work in private hospitals, have their own practice.

Therefore, they bill by the service. Office visits, hospital visits, surgical procedures, etc.

They do not work for the hospital nor are they employees of the hospital.

That's why the VA is more like "socialized medicine".

Medicare is like "Single Payer".

Private practice is like "Insurance or Cash or no treatment".

[RoseMead]

6. Thanks! n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. The staff at the Cleveland Clinic is salaried

has not affected care. They are considered a top facility, like number four in the US.

My local US system hospital is as well salaried. They are in the top 100,

What he is correct is that they do have a certain number of minutes to see a patient. Hell, you could even find out with your personal doctor.

[RoseMead]

5. Thank you! n/t