An overview of physician payments and cost per service (2024)

Total payments

November 17, 2022—In response to the pandemic, governments in Canada introduced public health measures that led to an initial decrease in physician–patient interactions.Reference1 For the first time on record, total clinical payments decreased by approximately 2% in 2020–2021 to $28.9 billion. The number of services physicians provided between 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 also dropped by 7.9%. Family physicians provided 7.1% fewer services in 2020–2021 and specialists provided 8.9% fewer services.

Total clinical payments to physicians, 1999–2000 to 2020–2021

An overview of physician payments and cost per service (1)

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Fiscal yearTotal gross clinical payments
(in billions of dollars)
FFS clinical payments
(in billions of dollars)
1999–2000$9.7$8.6
2000–2001$10.2$8.9
2001–2002$11.0$9.2
2002–2003$11.6$9.6
2003–2004$12.4$10.0
2004–2005$13.0$10.4
2005–2006$14.1$11.1
2006–2007$14.9$11.6
2007–2008$16.3$12.2
2008–2009$17.9$12.9
2009–2010$19.3$14.0
2010–2011$20.5$14.7
2011–2012$22.0$15.7
2012–2013$22.8$16.1
2013–2014$24.1$17.1
2014–2015$24.9$17.8
2015–2016$25.7$18.5
2016–2017$26.4$19.2
20172018$27.4$19.9
2018–2019$28.2$20.5
2019–2020$29.5$21.2
2020–2021$28.9$20.3

FFS: Fee-for-service.

Source
National Physician Database, Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Average payments

Average gross clinical payments ($343,500 at the pan-Canadian level in 2020–2021) decreased in most jurisdictions in 2020–2021 compared with the previous year (-3.4% at the pan-Canadian level), but payments generally were still higher than 5 years ago. Between 2016–2017 and 2020–2021, average payments increased between 3% and 12% in Atlantic Canada, and by 16% in Yukon. Quebec and Ontario also saw increases, albeit slightly smaller at 3% and 2%, respectively. The Prairies and British Columbia saw decreases over the same time frame, ranging from -1% to -5%.

Average clinical payments to physicians, 2016–2017 and 2020–2021

An overview of physician payments and cost per service (2)

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Jurisdiction2016–20172020–2021
N.L.$273,899$283,461
P.E.I.$378,280$405,100
N.S.$265,431$298,543
N.B.$302,132$313,140
Que.$328,360$338,538
Ont.$346,660$351,992
Man.$360,287$349,274
Sask.$359,775$351,790
Atla.$385,522$367,230
B.C.$289,850$286,413
Y.T.$275,715$320,164
Canada$340,989$343,528

Source
National Physician Database, Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Type of payment

The predominant method of reimbursem*nt for physicians’ clinical activity in Canada is fee-for-service (FFS), but other models exist, such as salary, sessional payments, capitation and other contracts. Any non-FFS payments are referred to here as alternative payment plans (APPs).

In 2020–2021, there was a 70/30 split for FFS and APP payments (70% FFS; 30% APP). The split has been stable at the pan-Canadian level for the past 10 years, with some jurisdictional variations. While FFS accounts for approximately 70% of total clinical payments, almost all physicians (96%) received at least some payment through FFS. APPs accounted for about 30% of total clinical payments, and about two-thirds of physicians (64%) received at least some payment through APPs.

Share of physician payments by type of payment, 2020–2021

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JurisdictionAPP clinical paymentsFFS clinical paymentsPercentage of physicians who received any APP paymentsPercentage of physicians who received any FFS payments
N.L.36.2%63.8%51%89%
P.E.I.40.2%59.8%83%88%
N.S.67.0%33.0%97%56%
N.B.35.6%64.4%70%90%
Que.22.8%77.2%89%99%
Ont.37.0%63.0%45%98%
Man.29.3%70.7%71%91%
Sask.44.0%56.0%49%62%
Atla.14.1%85.9%26%83%
B.C.19.2%80.8%60%95%
Y.T.43.1%56.9%57%99%
Canada29.5%70.5%64%96%

Source
National Physician Database, Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Service utilization costs

Consultations and visitsReference2 accounted for almost three-quarters of clinical services and two-thirds of clinical payments. The average cost per service was $73.45 for 2020–2021, a 2.9% increase over the previous year. The average cost per service was impacted by multiple factors, including FFS rate changes and shifts in the volume of services provided. For example, the volume of major assessments dropped by 24% while other assessments decreased by 5.9%. Major surgery services fell by 9.4% compared with drops of 20.8% in minor surgery and 19.9% in diagnostic and therapeutic services. Fluctuations in service volumes changed the distribution of more expensive and less expensive services, contributing to the overall increase in the average cost per service over the previous year.

The average cost per service varied considerably across the different specialty groups. Costs ranged from $52.36 and $56.02 for dermatology and family medicine to $213.46 and $238.50 for thoracic/cardiovascular surgery and neurosurgery, respectively.

Average cost per service by specialty, 2020–2021

An overview of physician payments and cost per service (4)

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GroupSpecialtyAverage cost per service
Family medicineFamily medicine$56.02
Medical specialtiesInternal medicine$90.02
Cardiology$87.42
Gastroenterology$112.03
Neurology$115.44
Psychiatry$110.31
Pediatrics$88.65
Dermatology$52.36
Physical medicine$97.26
Anesthesia$190.58
Surgical specialtiesGeneral surgery$134.78
Thoracic/cardiovascular surgery$213.46
Urology$85.69
Orthopedic surgery$126.81
Plastic surgery$119.78
Neurosurgery$238.50
Ophthalmology$66.91
Otolaryngology$69.92
Obstetrics/gynecology$90.40
Total physiciansNot applicable$73.45

Source
National Physician Database, Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Related resources

  • A profile of physicians in Canada, 2022

References

1.

Back to Reference 1 in text

Canadian Institute for Health Information. Virtual care: A major shift for Canadians receiving physician services. Accessed March 24, 2022.

2.

Back to Reference 2 in text

Canadian Institute for Health Information. National Grouping System (NGS) (PDF). 2016.

An overview of physician payments and cost per service (2024)

FAQs

An overview of physician payments and cost per service? ›

Consultations and visits 2 accounted for almost three-quarters of clinical services and two-thirds of clinical payments. The average cost per service was $73.45 for 2020–2021, a 2.9% increase over the previous year.

What is the most common method of payment for physicians? ›

The dominant mode of physician payment in the US is fee-for-service (FFS), representing over 90 percent of primary care practice revenue3 predominately for office visits. Face-to-face patient encounters have long been a core component of primary care services and remain highly valued by both patients and physicians.

What is the meaning of fee-for-service payment? ›

A method in which doctors and other health care providers are paid for each service performed. Examples of services include tests and office visits.

What is the meaning of physician services? ›

Physician services include office visits, surgical procedures, and a broad range of other. diagnostic and therapeutic services. These services are furnished in all settings, including physician offices, hospitals, other post-acute care settings, clinical laboratories, and beneficiaries' homes.

What were the reasons for developing a new Medicare physician payment system? ›

The physician payment framework established by MACRA was intended to stabilize fluctuations in payment caused by the prior payment system under the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, which set annual targets for Medicare physician spending based on growth in the gross domestic product (GDP).

What are the three main payment models in healthcare? ›

The 3 Core Types of Payment Models in Healthcare
  • Fee-For-Service (FFS)
  • Capitation.
  • Episode-Based.

What are the four basic provider payment systems? ›

Payment for healthcare is managed in various ways. The main categories of payment systems are salary, capitation, bundled payment, global budget and fee-for-service. Most countries have mixed systems of physician payment.

What is a cost of service fee? ›

A service charge is a fee collected to pay for services related to the primary product or service being purchased. The charge is usually added at the time of the transaction. Many industries collect service charges, including restaurants, banking, and travel and tourism.

What is the meaning of service fee payment? ›

What is a Service Charge? A service charge, also called a service fee, refers to a fee collected to pay for services that relate to a product or service that is being purchased. In other words, a service charge is an additional charge for the service provided with the purchase of a product or service.

What are fees for the services? ›

The service charges are a type of fee collected to pay for services associated with the purchase of the primary product or service. Typically, the charges are applied at the time of transaction. Service charges are collected by many sectors, including restaurants, banking, and travel and tourism.

Why is service important for a physician? ›

Physicians should merit the confidence of patients entrusted to their care, rendering to each a full measure of service and devotion.”2 This precept names service to others as the most important obligation of doctors.

What is the difference between a physician and a doctor? ›

While all physicians are doctors, not all doctors are physicians. Physicians focus on patient care, have the authority to prescribe medication, and perform medical procedures, while the term “doctor” encompasses a wider range of disciplines beyond medicine.

How does CMS define physician? ›

A physician is a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, dental medicine, dental surgery, podiatric medicine, optometry, or chiropractic medicine legally authorized to practice by the State in which he/she performs such function or action as defined in §1861(r) of the Social Security Act.

How does Medicare reimburse physician services? ›

Claims for Medicare covered services will go to the Medicare Advantage plan or directly to Medicare for FFS patients. Claims for Medi-Cal covered services and Medicare coinsurance and copays should be sent to the Medi-Cal plan.

What is the physician payment reform? ›

The three major components of the OBRA 1989 physician payment reforms were the introduction of a Medicare fee schedule (MFS); the establishment of restrictions on the ability of physicians to bill Medicare beneficiaries for amounts exceeding the fee schedule; and the institution of target rates of growth for ...

Can a physician charge a patient to complete a Medicare form? ›

You might have to pay the full amount at the time of service. They should submit a claim to Medicare for any Medicare-covered services they give you, and they can't charge you for submitting a claim. If they refuse to submit a Medicare claim, you can submit your own claim to Medicare. Get the Medicare claim form.

What is the most common physician compensation model? ›

RVU compensation is the most popular payment model. It is common for physicians employed by hospital groups and health systems to receive compensation in this way.

What is the best source for physician salaries? ›

With over 100,000 physicians contributing to the most comprehensive set of salary questions, Medscape's annual Physician Compensation Survey is the gold standard for physician salary information across the United States.

What source of payment is the most common for office physician visits? ›

Private insurance was the primary expected source of payment at nearly one-half (45.9%) of all office- based physician visits, followed by Medicare (30.8%), Medicaid (11.7%), and no insurance (4.0%, estimate does not meet statistical reliability criteria) (Figure 2, Table 2).

What is the most commonly used payment method? ›

1. Credit and debit card. Credit and debit card payments are the most common payment type. Credit card companies, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, extend credit to purchasers; they cover the purchase price, and customers pay their card balance every month.

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