Compensation Arrangements for Emergency Physicians

Reaffirmed October 2008 by the ACEP Board of Directors
Approved by the ACEP Board of Directors April 2002
This statement replaces one with the same title originally approved by the ACEP Board of Directors June 1988 and revised June 1997
The original Council Resolution 44 titled "Management Group Profits" as approved as a policy statement by the ACEP Board of Directors in September 1985. It was revised in June 1988 by the ACEP Board of Directors using the same title and was reaffirmed in April 1992 by the ACEP Board of Directors. 

The American College of Emergency Physicians supports the following general principles for compensation arrangements for emergency physicians.

• ACEP recognizes that emergency physicians practice under a variety of compensation arrangements, e.g., independent contractor, fee for service, salary, hourly compensation, percentage of gross or net billing, or a combination of these.

• ACEP recognizes that quality emergency medical care is provided by physicians under different methods of compensation.

• Regardless of the compensation method or practice arrangement, emergency physicians are entitled to fair and equitable compensation, taking into account their experience and added value to the practice, market conditions, and other appropriate circumstances.

• Emergency physicians should understand their employment agreements and should consider obtaining review by legal counsel prior to signing a contract.

• Exploitation of emergency physicians by other emergency physicians or health care entities is improper. ACEP strongly urges each emergency physician to carefully evaluate any health care delivery system or arrangement that might unfairly profit from the professional services of the emergency physician.