Average annual hospital revenue generated by invasive cardiologists dropped 3.2% from 2010 to 2013, while the revenue generated by noninvasive cardiologists dropped 6.6%, according to a survey by physician job placement firm Merritt Hawkins.
"In the last several years, some services provided by cardiologists have been considered reimbursement ‘outliers’ by Medicare and have been targeted for significant" cuts, the survey authors noted, adding that "revenues generated by invasive cardiologists for hospitals can be expected to decline in coming years."
Average revenue of $2.17 million was reported for invasive cardiologists and just under $1.23 million for noninvasive cardiologists in 2013. That compares with almost $1.42 million for all specialists and $1.57 for all primary care physicians. The specialists’ average is the lowest Merritt Hawkins has reported since it started the survey in 2002 and is lower than the primary care average for the first time ever, the report noted.
The average net revenue generated for all physicians was $1.45 million – a drop of 6.2% from 2010 and, again, the lowest average since 2002, Merritt Hawkins said in its analysis.
The survey was sent to 5,500 hospitals in January 2013 and completed by 102 hospital chief financial officers.