Spine Surgeon Salaries: Highest paid Docs

[bedrock]

All very true....you need to look for a reason not to fuse. You can't buy a good reputation and a bad one will shorten your career very quickly.

Agree with Macbones/Scottie-

The most important reason not to fuse without a very solid clinical reason, is.......the long-term wellbeing of your patient.

The second most important reason is that as of 2012 you'll be paid about half as much for a lumbar fusion.
CMS/and the blues are trying their hardest to reduce lumbar fusion rates and decreased dollars may finally start convincing spine surgeons to do lumbar fusions sparingly, (if all the bad clinical outcomes from mediocre fusion candidates didn't already)

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[bedrock]

Based upon my 15 years in private practice you are accurate in your asessment. I would point out that as of Jan. 1st the epidurogram is now bundled with the injection code. The injection code pays more than in 2010 but still less than the combined coding. Note to all you future pain docs...you are about to be "bent over" by the Government big time.

Unfortunately both spine surgeons and pain docs were bent over by the government this year. I work in a multi-specialty practice. I'm going to lose about $60,000 this year from the new bundling rules that affect pain procedures. And the spine surgeons in our practice will lose at least twice that.

 

[skiz knot]

Unfortunately both spine surgeons and pain docs were bent over by the government this year. I work in a multi-specialty practice. I'm going to lose about $60,000 this year from the new bundling rules that affect pain procedures. And the spine surgeons in our practice will lose at least twice that.

Quit your bitching. This is how it has been in the rest of medicine for the longest time. You should be greatfull for the long run you had where the biller/payer system didn't catch up to the rest of surgery. It is not 3 times as hard to fuse 3 levels compared to one level, or inject 3 levels or whatever it is you do that is now bundled.

If I fix an ankle fracture and a wrist fracture on the same day in the OR (obviously very different parts of the body), I would only be able to bill 50% for my surgical fee on the second site.

 

[bedrock]

oh, there's plenty to go around for everybody.

Arthroscopy is taking bundling hits in 2012 as well.

 

[pre med 2014]

this is interesting. Neurosurgeons get less for doing brain surgeries than neurosurgeons who do primarily spinal surgeries.

There was a comment on here how most neurosurgeons mainly do spinal surgeries. I think this is a reason why. Doesn't make any sense.

 

[skiz knot]

this is interesting. Neurosurgeons get less for doing brain surgeries than neurosurgeons who do primarily spinal surgeries.

There was a comment on here how most neurosurgeons mainly do spinal surgeries. I think this is a reason why. Doesn't make any sense.

That may be A reason why, but not THE reason why.

Most neurosurgeons do NOT work at a large academic medical center. Most "brain" surgery will take place at one of these large academic institutions. You do not want a surgeon operating in your brain when he sees 2 brain tumors a year.

 

[nysegop]

Orthopedic Surgery - Spine = Not as great as it looks.

Example 1: John A. Doe, MD
Orthopedic Spine Surgeon in the state of Florida.
Salary: $550,000 per year (avg. salary in Florida)
Malpractice: Anywhere between $100,000 to $200,000 per year in FL. Depending on various factors (ie. if you've been sued before, etc.) we will go for the middle ($150,000)
Also, since orthopedic surgeons get sued a lot (sorry, but that's the size of it). You will be getting sued once per year for $60,000 settlement.

550,000
-150,000
=400,000
-60,000
=340,000 (About how much many doctors get paid anyway)

So, most people will not go for Orthopedic Surgery since you have a high stress, easy to make errors job and you end up making a lot less than you might think.

 

[MDPhDeac]

this is interesting. Neurosurgeons get less for doing brain surgeries than neurosurgeons who do primarily spinal surgeries.

There was a comment on here how most neurosurgeons mainly do spinal surgeries. I think this is a reason why. Doesn't make any sense.

Also, if you take out 2-3 mets through the same craniotomy, you only get to bill for the one crani. However, if you do multiple levels in the spine, you get to bill for each level.

 

[Tenesma]

NYSEGOP... malpractice does not come out of salary (it is covered pre-tax prior to salary being paid), and settlements are paid by the insurance carrier... your assumptions are all incorrect.

MDPHDeac... spine reimbursements are changing and more, more of the services are not pre-authorized/not covered, or more frequently are getting bundled.... currently the only orthopedic specialthy where bundling hasn't hit yet is shoulder surgery, but that is very soon to come.

 

[Green Grass]

.

 

[r7p3]

Can you predict when these reimbursement cuts will happen?
What about docs who do not use Medicare, how will they be affected?

 

[Serous Demilune]

Can you predict when these reimbursement cuts will happen?
What about docs who do not use Medicare, how will they be affected?

I can't answer your first question. As to your second one, a regular private practice spine surgeon that doesn't take Medicare would have a pretty empty office.

 

[doc-oc!]

how hard is it to become an orthopedic spine surgeon?