Research

Physician Practice Benchmark Survey

UPDATED | 4 Min Read

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.

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The report on physician practice characteristics shows that the share of physicians in private practice continues to decline.

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.

Reasons Private Practices Are Sold chart

Download the PDF of the chart.

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