​How Should Physicians Be Paid?

Each year in New Brunswick the Department of Health publishes physician payments from Medicare, the responsible thing to do from a public accountability perspective.  Physicians constitute a highly respected profession in which the public invests enormous trust in their practice and professional activity.  That the majority of their professional billings come from the provincial government through the Medicare Branch suggests that public disclosure is essential.  As a principle, all who draw income from the public purse should have their government-paid compensation fully disclosed.
The numbers reported in December 2019 had some unique characteristics because for the first time a family doctor was the leader in Medicare billings, reported at nearly $1.7 million.  The public has come to anticipate billings by high-earning specialties in that range, but this was the first time for a family physician.  The CBC report went on to note that this was the first year that a female physician led the earnings list.  Read more here