Andrew Hresko, an analyst with the Advisory Board Company, answered some frequently asked questions pertaining to the design of on-call coverage plans for cardiovascular physicians.
What compensation strategies are available?
Mr. Hresko says his team has seen a range of compensation plans for cardiology call coverage, including:
• Hourly rates
• Daily rates
• Percentage of Medicare fee schedule
• Guaranteed portion of payment based on work relative value units
• Subsidies for malpractice insurance
How much are cardiologists paid for call coverage?
Mr. Hresko pointed to on-call compensation rates from the most recent Medical Group Management Association survey. In 2012, the average daily on-call compensation rate for subspecialists was as follows:
• $423 for noninvasive cardiologists
• $919 for invasive interventional cardiologists
• $1,058 for cardiovascular surgeons
Aside from physicians, what other staff members should be kept on call?
Mr. Hresko said interventional cardiologists will need support from on-call cath teams to respond to emergent cases, such as ST-elevated heart attack patients. On-call cath teams often include a nurse, radiology technician and one or two cardiovascular scrub technicians, according to Mr. Hresko. Most hospitals use a single overnight team for their cath lab.
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