Salaried Physicians and Economic Incentives

Salaried physicians have recently become an important part of our health care system, and with this change have come new problems for the medical profession and the patients it serves.Not long ago the great majority of practicing physicians worked independently in their private offices on a fee-for-service basis. Now, with the growth of health care businesses and the expansion of group practices and health maintenance organizations (HMOs), more and more physicians — particularly those just starting practice — are working for a salary. According to data in the files of the American Medical Association, between one fifth and one . . .