Multiple Payment Methods for Call Coverage

Written by Dan Oppenheimer

According to MD Ranger's database of more than 33,000 physician contracts, more than 70% of call coverage contracts are paid by a per diem rate. Per diem contracts are typically the most straightforward type of call coverage agreements and as a result are usually the simplest to pay compliantly. However, despite the advantages of per diem rates, nearly 30% of call coverage contracts include multiple payment methods.

In most cases, the additional payment type is a payment for unsponsored patients, typically paid as a percent of medicaid rates. While it does not create a significant difference in per diem rates, physician contracts with multiple payment methods on the whole do pay slightly less than those contracts solely paying a per diem rate. Even though these mixed payment method contracts have marginally lower per diem rates, depending on patient volume, the additional payments for unsponsored care or from per activation and per episode fees may actually end up increasing the overall physician payments.

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