{"id":5946,"date":"2020-10-29T10:47:53","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T05:17:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mymedicplus.com\/news\/?p=5946"},"modified":"2022-03-12T14:55:40","modified_gmt":"2022-03-12T09:25:40","slug":"physician-survey-details-depth-of-pandemics-financial-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedicplus.com\/blog\/physician-survey-details-depth-of-pandemics-financial-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Physician survey details depth of pandemic\u2019s financial impact"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Source – https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/<\/p>\n

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 continues to climb and is likely to worsen as colder temperatures drive Americans indoors and case counts go up. And, while the pandemic appropriately receives much of the nation\u2019s health care focus, Americans\u2019 other chronic and acute medical and behavioral health conditions did not go away.<\/p>\n

Many of these conditions, however, went untreated or undetected, resulting in worsening health for patients.<\/p>\n

Also threatened is the financial viability of the U.S. health system\u2019s private practice infrastructure. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that by April physician offices lost 286,000 jobs compared to their January levels. Although many of those jobs have been gained back, as of September, employment still remained below its January level.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0new AMA survey\u00a0about the COVID-19 pandemic\u2019s impact provides a window into the financial pressures physician practices have faced and continue to experience. The survey was conducted online from mid-July through the end of August.<\/p>\n

The average number of in-person visits to physician offices fell from 97 per week to 57, according to the survey of 3,500 physicians who provided at least 20 hours of patient care a week prior to the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Physicians averaged a 32% drop in revenue since February, the AMA survey shows. About one in five doctors saw revenue drop by 50% or more, while nearly one-third saw declines of between 25% and 49%. Only 19% of physicians reported no drop in revenue.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhysician practices continue to be under significant financial stress due to reductions in patient volume and revenue, in addition to higher expenses for supplies that are scarce for some physicians\u201d said AMA President Susan R. Bailey, MD. \u201cMore economic relief is needed now from Congress as some medical practices contemplate the brink of viability, particularly smaller practices that are facing a difficult road to recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find out with the AMA about\u00a0how to keep your physician practice going during COVID-19 pandemic\u00a0and get in-depth advice from the\u00a0AMA physician practice financial relief guide.<\/p>\n

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