AMA survey: More doctors volunteering

The new study found that general surgeons, psychiatrists and subspecialists in internal medicine were more likely to provide charity care than other physicians.

By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. May 13, 2002.

Nearly two out of three doctors provided charity care in 1999, up slightly from 1988, according to a new AMA report.

The number of charity hours per doctor a week rose from 6.6 to 8.8 hours between 1988 and 1999, figures show.

The report said physician commitment to charity care is strong, despite the financial pressures managed care may have imposed on practices.

"[Charity care] has always been important, because there have always been those in need," said AMA President-elect Yank D. Coble Jr., MD.

The information on charity care was taken from the AMA's Socioeconomic Monitoring System, a national survey of nonfederal physicians who have completed their graduate medical education. Charity care is defined as care provided for free or for a reduced fee because of the patients' financial needs.

Doctors were asked how many hours of free or reduced-fee care they performed in their most recent complete week of practice. The report did not analyze the reasons behind most of the findings in the survey. Survey years were 1988, 1994 and 1999; information was not available for 2000 and 2001.

The AMA report differs from a study done last year by the Center for Studying Health System Change, which said the number of doctors doing charity care had dropped 4% from 1997 to 1999. That study said the decline might be linked to changes in the medical marketplace during the 1990s, including a shift from physician ownership of practices and an increase in managed care.

Why the difference in the reports? [...]