Top 15 Florida physician groups by Medicare charges

What are the top Florida physician groups with the most Medicare charges?

HCA Florida Healthcare Physicians, based out of Sebring, Florida, is in first place on our list with $6.1 billion in Medicare charges. This physician group also has the most physicians with over 7,000 members. The practice is a single- and multi-specialty group with their primary specialty in internal medicine. HCA Florida Healthcare Physicians is affiliated with the health system HCA Florida Healthcare – HCA East Florida Division.

Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute is second on the list with $2.6 billion in Medicare charges. Based out of Fort Myers, it is also a single- and multi-specialty group with a primary specialty in hematology/oncology.

Interestingly, Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute has nearly 6,900 fewer physicians than HCA Florida Healthcare Physicians. The number of physicians ranges considerably across the list of 15 groups- from 232 to 7,180 physicians. This suggests that the number of physicians employed in a group does not necessarily impact its Medicare charges.

Tampa-based HCA Florida Physicians is slightly behind in the number-three spot with $2.4 billion in Medicare charges. Similar to the top-ranked group, this group is also affiliated with the health system HCA Florida Healthcare; however, they are a part of the HCA West Florida Division.

Except for University of Miami Physicians, which is an academic/faculty practice, the rest of the physician groups are single/multi-specialty physician groups, which indicates that a group uses its premises and resources to offer patients at least one or more types of care.

What is a physician group?

A physician group (also known as a physician medical group) practice is comprised of at least one physician operating as an organization to provide care to patients.  Physician group types include private practices (i.e. a solo physician owns and manages their own office), or group practices (i.e. two or more physicians administer care within the same facility). Group practices can be classified as single-specialty and multi-specialty.

While physicians can work exclusively at a physician group practice, it’s common for physicians to be also employed by another organization such as a hospital.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a group medical practice?

When medical groups are larger in size, they are able to reach a broader patient population and can also take on greater financial and clinical risk (e.g. treating higher-risk patients or performing more specialized procedures).

Physicians who are a part of an independent physician group can enjoy greater scheduling flexibility, more financial security, and better employee benefits.

Although operating as a group can be a more reliable choice for physicians than entering solo practice, a physician group may not provide as much administrative support or cover financial risks in the way that larger institutions like hospitals can.

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