Physicians were paid $12.13 billion between 2013 and 2022, according to a report published in JAMA Network March 28.
The report, "Industry Payments to US Physicians by Specialty and Product Type," used data from CMS' Open Payments platform to determine payments. The payment calculations include cash and noncash equivalents for consulting services, nonconsulting services, food and beverages, travels and lodging, entertainment, education, gifts, grants, charitable contributions, and honoraria made to physicians.
Here are 39 specialties ranked by total amount paid from August 2013 to December 2022:
- Orthopedics: $1,360,744,428
- Neurology and psychiatry: $1,322,668,751
- Cardiology: $1,293,613,594
- Hematology/oncology: $825,799,685
- Internal medicine: $588,249,423
- Endocrinology: $546,513,674
- Family medicine: $479,105,369
- Rheumatology, allergy and immunology: $464,858,022
- Dermatology: $462,809,832
- Gastroenterology: $441,594,616
- Ophthalmology: $431,693,877
- Radiology: $391,978,018
- General surgery: $360,474,915
- OB-GYN: $295,367,215
- Pediatrics: $291,005,562
- Pulmonology: $286,121,375
- Urology: $248,857,164
- Neurosurgery: $236,065,708
- Anesthesiology: $217,675,440
- Cardiothoracic surgery: $183,646,912
- Other: $183,441,139
- Infectious diseases: $170,694,009
- Plastic surgery: $159,538,869
- Nephrology: $156,651,522
- Vascular surgery: $133,653,084
- Emergency medicine: $102,889,555
- ENT: $101,649,087
- Pathology: $101,262,094
- Physical and rehabilitation medicine: $75,865,211
- Gastrointestinal surgery: $48,122,701
- Critical care: $44,090,927
- General practice: $35,592,151
- Surgical oncology: $22,500,511
- Hospitalist: $17,309,602
- Preventive medicine: $16,345,150
- Geriatrics: $14,763,580
- Nuclear medicine: $11,698,857
- Trauma surgery: $6,955,629
- Pediatric surgery: $2,892,084