The decline of physician ownership: 9 things to know

The number of physicians working in private practice decreased by 13.4 percent from 60.1 percent in 2012 to 46.7 percent in 2022, according to a report from the American Medical Association.

Here are eightmore things to know from the report:

1. The percentage of physicians who were employed by a hospital rose from 5.6 percent in 2012 to 9.6 percent in 2022.
2. The percentage of physicians who worked in a hospital-owned practice grew from 23.4 percent to 31.3 percent.
3. In 2022, 4.5 percent of physicians worked at a practice that was owned by a private equity group.
4. The percentage of physicians working in practices with fewer than 10 physicians fell from 61.4 percent in 2012 to 51.8 percent in 2022. 
5. The percentage of physicians working in practices with 50 or more physicians grew by 6.1 percent in that time period.
6. Roughly 80 percent of physicians said the ability to negotiate higher payment rates with insurance companies affected their decision to sell their practice.
7. Forty-four percent of physicians in 2022 were owners, down from 53.2 percent in 2012.
8. A total of 48.6 percent of physician owners in 2022 were men, compared to 35.7 percent of physician owners who were women.