We are considering paying the physician assistants flat fee per case for in cardiac and thoracic surgery assistance. These PA's are not our emplyee, but we do use them frequently. I'd like to know if anyone else is doing paying a per case fee for PAs. If so do you have any insight on the benefits and / or pitfalls. Also if you could give me a price range that you are currently paying. One of the PA's suggested 400.00 per case, but if its a straight valve it only pays 261.00 or so. I did run a report for PA payments over the last year and found that an average pay of 411.00 on the claims we recieved payment on excluding the Indigent & Cash ptient where payment is minimal to non-existant. And of course they would want the fee for those as well.
Would it be reasonable to have a different fee for - thoracic vs. cardiac, insured vs uninsured, etc....?