Maryland is a fantastic place to live, raise a family, and practice medicine. But for family physicians, there's one major drawback: Maryland ranks 50th out of 50 states in physician compensation. We are also among the lowest in the country when it comes to insurance reimbursement rates. This is especially concerning given that Maryland has one of the highest costs of living in the nation.
This disparity makes it increasingly difficult to retain and attract family physicians. With all our neighboring states offering higher compensation, many doctors are choosing to commute or relocate to practice elsewhere.
The Maryland Academy of Family Physicians (MDAFP) has identified this as a critical issue. In response, we have launched the Family Physician Reimbursement and Pay Taskforce. Our mission is to uncover the root causes of low compensation in Maryland and collaborate with key stakeholders to advocate for meaningful change. These stakeholders include:
In May, we partnered with the Baltimore County Medical Society to host the first in a series of webinars designed to address this challenge and bring stakeholders to the table. We’ll keep our members updated on upcoming sessions in this series.
MDAFP is also actively participating in the AHEAD Model Advisory Committee and the Maryland Health Care Commission Primary Care Investment Workgroup, ensuring the voice of family physicians is heard in these important conversations.
We remain steadfast in our advocacy for fair compensation. If you're passionate about this issue and want to get involved, please reach out to us at info@mdafp.org to join our Reimbursement and Pay Taskforce.
Thank you for your continued dedication to your patients and communities.
Sincerely,
Amar Duggirala, DO, MPH, FAAFP
Your MDAFP President
