Assessment of the Contribution of the Work Relative Value Unit Scale to Differences in Physician Compensation Across Medical and Surgical Specialties.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

The work relative value units (wRVUs) for a physician service can be conceptualized as the amount of time spent by the physician multiplied by a compensation rate (wRVUs/min). Disproportionately high compensation rates assigned to procedures have been blamed for pay differences across specialties, but to our knowledge, a comprehensive assessment is lacking.

Objective

To assess how compensation rates built into work RVUs contribute to differences in physician compensation across specialties.

Design, setting, and participants

This cross-sectional analysis examined 2017 Part B fee-for-service Medicare data. The data were analyzed from May 1 to May 30, 2019.

Main outcomes and measures

A specialty-wide compensation rate (wRVUs/min) was generated for 42 me

SUBMITTER: Childers CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7160740 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature