Pulse
Fee-for-service MDs averaged $33 per service in 1998/99

CMAJ 2001;165(7):939

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During the 1998/99 fiscal year, fee-for-service physicians earned more than $8 billion for providing over 240 million services, or an average of $33 per service. The Canadian Institute for Health Information also reports that family physicians provided most of the services (64%) and received 47% of total payments.

The number of services provided in Canada increased by less than 1% and actually decreased slightly on a per capita basis (-0.2%) between 1996/97 and 1998/99. Total payments per capita increased by 2% over the same period.

Consultations and visits accounted for 70% of all fee-for-service payments to physicians, with payments for surgical, anesthetic and other services accounting for the rest. The average cost of all visits in 1998/99 was $29.58, while the average cost for procedures was $50.38. During the 3 years from 1996/97 to 1998/99, the overall percentage increase in the cost per service for all procedures was just over 4%. There was a 7% increase in the cost per diagnostic and therapeutic procedure, compared with almost no change in the cost for obstetric/gynecologic procedures (0.2%). — Lynda Buske, lynda.buske@cma.ca