The Economic Role of Physicians in Today's Evolving Healthcare System

Physicians provide millions of patients with essential medical care each year on which a dollar value cannot be placed. However, the economic role physicians play in healthcare delivery can be calibrated. According to a new Merritt Hawkins survey indicating net annual revenue generated by physicians for their affiliated hospitals, and according to data indicating the economic contributions physicians make to their communities, this role remains highly significant. Even as payment models transition from volume-based metrics to value-based metrics, the economic role of physicians in healthcare will remain pivotal.