Orthopedic Surgeon Income Is Losing the Battle

Over the past 20 years, trends in orthopaedic surgeon compensation has decreased by 38% when adjusted for inflation. In contrast, other professions such as economists, lawyers, and engineers have experienced inflation-adjusted salary increases of 31%, 26%, and 24%, respectively. Among all the professions analyzed, including healthcare workers, orthopaedic surgeons have seen the most significant decline in salary rates.

Foot and ankle is not exempt

While hip and knee arthroplasty are often identified as the primary contributors to the negative trend, foot and ankle procedures have also been affected. From 2000 and 2020, after adjusting for inflation, reimbursement for foot and ankle procedures decreased by 29.8%. Specifically, the inflation-adjusted average of Medicare reimbursement for physicians across all foot and ankle CPT codes was $579 in 2000, dropping to $393 in 2020.

If you can keep your schedule full without Medicare, do it!

On January 1, 2025, physicians experienced a 6.3% reduction in Medicare service payments. There was anticipation that a new budget would include a solution to reverse these cuts. However, the funding bill released by House Republican leaders on March 1 does not prevent these reductions for doctors treating Medicare patients.