Purchaser: Physician Program: Charity and bad debt Description: Sometimes physicians provide care that is not covered by health insurance, any government program and for which the recipient can not pay. The most recent survey of physicians by the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and MVA Research Inc. found each physician provided an average of more than $22,200 in charity in 1997.
Physicians also provide care to patients who have sufficient resources but for whom collections were not made. In 1997, physicians had an average of about $27,400 in bad debts, according to the TMA/MVA study.
Texas physicians provided an estimated $914 million in charity care in 1997.
Texas Total, 1997
Physicians in the state 41,174 Average charity care per physician $22,200 Total charity care by physicians $914,062,800 Average bad debt per physician $27,400 Total bad debt for care given by physicians $1,128,167,600 Source: Texas Medical Association, MVA Research Inc.