Richest U.S. Physician Involved with Investigation into Admission Practices

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The latest statistics from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average hourly wage for an Orthopedic Surgeon is $147.22, with an average annual salary of $306.22. Physician offices, and general Medical and Surgical hospitals have the highest numbers of employed Orthopedic Surgeons, with an average hourly salary ranging from $152.92 to $128.76, and an average yearly salary of $267.830 to $318,070. However, outpatient care centers pay the highest at an average hourly salary of $168.99, and an average annual salary of $351,510.

When broken out by state, Pennsylvania has highest employment level for Orthopedic Surgeons, but the average hourly wage is $101.82, and the average annual salary is $211,78. While New Jersey ranks 4^th for highest employment rate, the average hourly salary for an Orthopedic Surgeon there is $156.14, and average annual salary is $327.77.

As a comparison, all other physicians earn average hourly wage of $111.30, and an average annual salary of $231,500. All other surgeons earn $143.17 an hour on average, and average annual salary of $297,800. In the realm of physicians, one physician has far exceeded even the highest imaginable hourly salary, earning his spot on the list of the wealthiest Americans for 2022, and per recent reports the honor may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.

Former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, Thomas Frist Jr., MD garnered the 42^nd spot on the Forbes' list of the top wealthiest Americans in 2022. According to the Forbes report, the 400 wealthiest Americans made over $500 billion less than the previous year, with tech companies hit the hardest. However, even in healthcare, Frist managed to make the list by earning over $17 billion, a drop from $21.8 billion the previous year. For those that like statistics, this averages out to over $46.5 million per day, and over $5 million per hour.

According to Bloomberg, Frist became a businessman when he founded Hospital Corp. Of America (HCA) in 1968 with his father who was a cardiologist and internal medicine specialist. While Frist does not currently have an executive position at HCA, he owns 20 percent of the company, which made $58.8 billion in 2021. HCA, based in Nashville, runs 187 hospitals and over 2,000 care sites across 21 states, an even in the UK.

Last fall HCA’s billing practices came into question when Service Employees International Union (SEIU) analyzed the organization’s Medicare data and released a scathing report. According to the report, HCA’s hospital markups were allegedly twice the national average while paying their employees poverty level wages. Interestingly enough, HCA was listed among the World's Most Ethical Companies Honoree List, for the tenth year in a row.

The SEIU analysis has apparently gained some traction as according to a September report from NPR-affiliated WPLN News a formal request has been filed for further investigation. New Jersey Democrat, Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. has asked the U.S. Department Of Health and Human Services to look further into the SEIU report. In a letter under the House Committee On Ways And Means, Pascrell highlighted the dire need for an investigation stating, “There are numerous documented situations involving concerns about quality issues in HCA-owned hospitals associated with low staffing levels, including preventable patient deaths, infection control breakdowns, and at least one hospital being threatened with termination from the Medicare program.” He goes on to say that frontline workers had attempted to make comprehensive changes unsuccessfully.

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