The Division of Economic and Health Policy Research conducts independent research to support AMA federal, state and private sector advocacy agendas.
One of the division’s most significant efforts is the Physician Practice Benchmark Survey, which focuses on the practice arrangements and payment methodologies of physicians who take care of patients for at least 20 hours per week and don't work for the federal government.
The Benchmark Surveys have been conducted on an every-other-year basis since 2012. Policy Research Perspective reports, based on the surveys, provide detailed analysis of the data.
2024 Benchmark Survey
Physician Practice Characteristics in 2024: Private Practices Account for Less Than Half of Physicians in Most Specialties
The report (PDF) describes the changes in the ownership and organization of physician practices since the first Benchmark Survey was fielded in 2012. The survey results show that physicians deliver care to patients in practices that are increasingly owned by hospitals or other organizations and not by physicians, larger, and increasingly likely to include physicians in a variety of specialties, not just one. For example, between 2012 and 2024, the share of physicians who work in private practices dropped by 18 percentage points from 60.1% to 42.2%. The report also describes the size and composition differences between private practices and those that are hospital-owned or owned by a private equity firm. Lastly, it explores the reasons that private practices are sold to hospitals, private equity firms, or insurers and finds that inadequate payment rates, costly resources, and burdensome regulatory and administrative requirements are longstanding and important drivers of this change.
Download the PDF of the chart.
2012-2022 Benchmark Surveys
- 2022 survey
- Physician Compensation 2012-2022: Physicians Increasingly Compensated Through Multiple Methods (PDF)
- Telehealth in 2022: Availability Remains Strong but Accounts for a Small Share of Patient Visits for Most Physicians (PDF)
- Payment and Delivery in 2022: Continued Growth in Accountable Care Organization While Alternative Payment Methods Stagnate (PDF)
- Recent Changes in Physician Practice Arrangements: Shifts Away from Private Practice and Towards Larger Practice Size Continue Through 2022 (PDF)
- Medical Liability Claim Frequency Among U.S. Physicians (PDF)
- 2020 survey
- Physician Compensation Methods: The Combination of Salary and Bonus Continues to Dominate through 2020 as Physicians are Increasingly Paid by Multiple Methods (PDF)
- Payment and Delivery in 2020: Fee-for-Service Revenue Remains Stable While Participation Shifts in Accountable Care Organizations During the Pandemic (PDF)
- Telehealth in 2020: Survey Data Show Widespread Use Across Most Physician Specialties and for a Variety of Functions (PDF)
- Recent Changes in Physician Practice Arrangements: Private Practice Dropped to Less Than 50 Percent of Physicians in 2020 (PDF)
- 2018 survey
- 2012-2018 Data on Physician Compensation Methods: Upswing in Compensation through the Combination of Salary and Bonus (PDF)
- Payment and Delivery in 2018: Participation in Medical Homes and Accountable Care Organizations on the Rise While Fee-for-Service Revenue Remains Stable (PDF)
- Updated Data on Physician Practice Arrangements: For the First Time, Fewer Physicians are Owners Than Employees (PDF)
- 2016 survey
- How Are Physicians Paid? A Detailed Look at the Methods Used to Compensate Physicians in Different Practice Types and Specialties (PDF)
- Updated Data on Physician Practice Arrangements: Physician Ownership Drops Below 50 Percent (PDF)
- Medical Liability Claim Frequency among U.S. Physicians (PDF)
- Payment and Delivery in 2016: The Prevalence of Medical Homes, Accountable Care Organizations, and Payment Methods Reported by Physicians (PDF)
- Physicians’ Patient Mix–A Snapshot from the 2016 Benchmark Survey and Changes Associated with the ACA (PDF)
- 2014 survey
- How Are Physicians Paid? A Detailed Look at the Methods Used to Compensate Physicians in Different Practice Types and Specialties (PDF)
- Payment and Delivery in 2014: The Prevalence of New Models Reported by Physicians (PDF)
- Updated Data on Physician Practice Arrangements: Inching Toward Hospital Ownership (PDF)
- 2012 survey