Female PCPs have higher earnings compared with male PCPs in value-based care, similar earnings in fee-for-service
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Female primary care physicians (PCPs) in value-based payment models have equal or better quality outcomes and higher earning than their male counterparts, according to a research letter published online May 16 in JAMA Health Forum to coincide with the annual meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine, held from May 14 to 17 in Hollywood, Florida.
Ishani Ganguli, M.D., M.P.H., from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined gender differences in reimbursed earnings and quality among PCPs participating in full risk-sharing arrangements with Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, which enroll most Medicare-eligible adults. The study included 2,022 patient-level MA claims and Medicare Star quality data from 13 payers. Physician gender differences in per-patient earnings estimated as fee-for-service payment and as a value-based payment were examined as the primary outcomes.
Data were included for 872 PCPs (40.4 percent women) working in 15 practice groups in seven states, with 223,810 patients. The researchers found that male and female PCPs had similar specialties and degrees. Fewer MA enrollees and higher proportions of female patients were seen for female PCPs’ panels. Female PCPs’ patients had better hemoglobin A1c control, eye examination receipt, and composite quality scores when comparing male and female PCPs in the same practice groups, as well as fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations; worse provider rating scores were seen for women. Female PCPs had similar and more earnings to male PCPs via fee-for-service and value-based payment, respectively.
“These results support the possibility that growing use of value-based payment might improve the gender wage gap and better reward high-quality care,” the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to F-Prime; several authors disclosed ties to agilon.
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