Impact of COVID-19 on Trends in Physician Payments from Traditional Medicare from 2017-2021

Date: 03/11/2025
Journal of General Internal Medicine
Author(s): Xenia Mendez, Ulrike Muench, Corinne P. Lewis, and Taressa K. Fraze

 

Physicians, especially in primary care, likely faced substantial revenue loss during the COVID-19 pandemic due to decreases in patient volume and deferred healthcare utilization. While studies have focused on projections and limited surveys, the impact of the pandemic on physician revenue is unclear. In this study researchers at UCSF and The Commonwealth Fund examined trends in physician revenue from traditional Medicare and explored variations by physician specialty and geography.