Thank you!
For all of you 90th percentilers (if thats a word), approximately how many patient encounters do you have in a day to obtain 10k wRVUs?
I used to make $1.3 million for many years. Can't do it anymore, as developed cancer that prevents me from "busting it". I was part of a neurosurgery group. I saw about 32 patients per day and did about 22-24 procedures on those days (clinic days). I did two half days at the surgery center, where I did about 5 rfs and .5 stim implants and 1 trial (10 rfs, 1 stim impant and 2 trials each week). I had two NPs, each of which would see 20 patients per day. I paid them well, so I only made about $20K per year off them. ACO money was minimal- $10K and group annual bonus was only about $30K.
The above numbers are without embellishment. I believe that I was in an area with high reimbursement (the clinic negotiated the contracts), but high overhead ($1 million). I am pretty darn fast and I found at the end of every day I was pooped. People ask me how many RVUs I did and I have no idea, as I was not paid that way. The gal who took over my practice is only able to see 15 pts per day and do 7 procedures; once she is off her guarantee, she will go broke, as she won't be able to pay overhead, even with zero salary.
I am currently in a far easier job that I can handle. However the reimbursement is awful and it is away from family, so we are going back to the Midwest to a pretty easy job that pays double what I make here (east TN). The area is pretty, but reimbursement is terrible. Our group makes most of its money off ACO money (about $250-$300K per year); they are masters at ACOs and do far better than internists anywhere else. There is a hospital based guy near me who makes $1.2 million and does far less work than I do. He has a sweet hospital based practice with RVU based reimbursement that pays well even in a "bad payer" environment.
If I had to do it over again, I would not do the high volume practice I did for many years- too much work and I think it took a toll on my health (two cancers and two rounds of surgery/chemo). My advice to youngsters would be to seek a job that pays about $500-$600K and is pretty easy so you can enjoy your life. I have no idea which practice type (office, large group, hospital employee) is going to be "best" in the future. I do know that "islands" (centers with no competition in a 100 mile radius) have always done well and will do well. In general, the less geographically desirable areas make a lot more money. For example, if you go to North Dakota or Eastern S.D, you can make $1 million plus, but have to live there.
The ACO bit is interesting, as we have two competing issues for pain:
1. lower cost center (office) is cheaper and thus better for ACO money
2. Hospital/surgery center is higher cash (they charge more), but is also higher cost for the ACO
So it depends on which side of the fence you sit on and whether your group can (or will) pay you a bunch more for being the lowest cost provider. Who knows which way the wind will blow in the future, but we can be assured there will be change.
PS- Who the hell would want to be a dermatologist? That would be boring.