KevinMD March 9, 2025
The tragic and shocking murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO has ignited a nationwide conversation about the flaws in the health care system, often accompanied by misdirected anger toward physicians. The rhetoric suggesting that physician salaries are the root of the problem oversimplifies a complex issue and distracts from systemic failures.
Physician salaries account for only about 8 percent of total U.S. health care costs, according to the American Medical Association, Health Affairs Journal, and PwC Health Research Institute. This modest percentage contrasts sharply with the staggering $4.7 trillion spent on health care in 2023, which encompasses hospital services, medications, and expansive government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. To put it bluntly, even if doctors worked for free, the structural issues...
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