Reimbursement challenges for emergency physicians

Emergency physicians are under growing fiscal pressures on multiple fronts. Federal and state laws require that emergency care be provided to all those presenting at an emergency department, yet in nearly all cases there is no comparable mandate for reimbursement. The growing number of uninsured and underinsured, as well as downward pressure on reimbursement from managed care organizations and social assistance programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, also contributes to the difficulty of emergency physicians to be compensated. It may be time for the public to address more fundamental questions about the right to care and who pays for that care.