Gender Differences in Medicare Payments Among Cardiologists

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Cardiology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Women cardiologists are known to earn lower salaries than their male counterparts.
• The role of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement in this pay gap remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate potential gender-based differences in CMS reimbursements and charges among US cardiologists.
• To determine if reimbursement disparities contribute to the observed salary gap in cardiology.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional analysis of 2016 CMS reimbursement data for US cardiologists was performed.
• Data included reimbursements, submitted charges, and unique billing codes for inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Gender differences in evaluation, management, and procedural charges were assessed using multivariable regression analysis.

Main Results:

• Men received significantly higher median CMS payments than women in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Men also submitted a higher median number of charges compared to women in both settings.
• After adjusting for various factors, women cardiologists still received lower CMS payments than men.

Conclusions:

• Gender-based differences in the number and types of submitted charges may explain variations in CMS payments between male and female cardiologists.
• Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of these disparities and to address pay inequities.