“Surgical specialists make more after becoming vertically integrated with hospitals or health systems, according to a Dec. 6 study published in Health Affairs,” Laura Dyrda writes over at Beckers ASC Review. “Physicians overall saw a slight pay decrease after vertical integration, but surgical specialists reported income $10,741 higher per year after joining the larger organization. Surgeons may choose to vertically integrate with hospitals for a variety of reasons, including support with technology purchases, reimbursement bumps and access to a new referral stream. The difference in physician income between independent and vertically integrated groups depends on whether the hospital is nonprofit or for-profit, and market competition, the study said. Physicians vertically integrating with nonprofit hospitals tended to report 1.9 percent lower income per year, while physicians joining for-profit hospitals did not see a significant income difference.” Laura Dyrda, “Surgeons report higher pay after vertical integration with hospitals,”
