{"id":29863,"date":"2026-06-23T08:02:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T12:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smithdirectcare.com\/?p=29863"},"modified":"2026-06-23T10:11:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T14:11:55","slug":"what-board-certified-surgeons-actually-think-about-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smithdirectcare.com\/es\/what-board-certified-surgeons-actually-think-about-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"What Board-Certified Surgeons Actually Think About Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most patients don’t spend much time thinking about what their surgeon thinks of their insurance plan. But maybe they should.
\nBehind the scenes of every prior authorization, every billing cycle, and every insurance denial, there\u2019s a surgeon who trained for a decade or more to do one thing: help patients heal. And increasingly, those surgeons are reaching a breaking point with a system that prioritizes paperwork over patients.
\nHere\u2019s what the data \u2014 and the surgeons themselves \u2014 actually say.<\/p>\n

The Bureaucracy Problem Is Real, and It\u2019s Getting Worse<\/h2>\n

Physician frustration with insurance isn\u2019t anecdotal. It\u2019s documented at scale.<\/p>\n

According to the American Medical Association\u2019s 2024 National Physician Survey, an overwhelming 94% of physicians reported that prior authorization requirements delay necessary care. Eighty percent said those delays cause patients to abandon treatment altogether. And 90% believe the insurance approval process directly increases overall healthcare costs \u2014 not lowers them \u2014 through additional office visits, emergency department care, and disease progression.<\/p>\n

“Prior authorization is only one part of the problem. Physicians now spend nearly half their workday on electronic health record (EHR) documentation and administrative tasks.”
\n\u2014 KevinMD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Administrative Burden Is Driving Severe Physician Burnout, April 2026<\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Nearly half the workday. For a surgeon, that\u2019s time that could be spent in the operating room, in a pre-op consultation, or in post-operative care with a patient who needs their full attention.<\/p>\n

Burnout Is Highest Among Surgical Specialties<\/h2>\n

The Medscape 2025 Physician Burnout and Depression Report found that 62% of physicians reported burnout \u2014 and “too much bureaucratic work” ranked as the top contributor, ahead of electronic health records, long hours, or any other factor.<\/p>\n

General surgeons and orthopedic surgeons \u2014 the very specialists most likely to be performing the procedures patients need \u2014 consistently rank among the hardest hit. According to the AMA\u2019s 2025 Organizational Biopsy, which surveyed nearly 19,000 physicians across 106 health systems, general surgery reported a burnout rate of 43.8% and urological surgery came in at 49.5%.<\/p>\n

For context: nearly 1 in 2 urological surgeons reported experiencing burnout symptoms in 2025. That\u2019s not a fringe problem. That\u2019s a systemic one.
\n\u2014 American Medical Association, 2025 Organizational Biopsy<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And it\u2019s worth noting what burnout costs patients, not just physicians. Research consistently links physician burnout to lower quality of care, reduced patient satisfaction, and higher rates of medical error. When the system grinds down its best surgeons, patients pay the price.<\/p>\n

What Surgeons Actually Want to Be Doing<\/h2>\n

Ask a surgeon why they went into medicine, and the answer is almost never “to spend four hours a day managing prior authorizations.”
\nThe 2024 Medscape Surgical Compensation Report found that across general surgeons and orthopedic surgeons, the most rewarding aspects of their work were being good at what they do and the gratitude they receive from patients. The most challenging aspect, cited above all others? Reimbursement challenges with insurers and cumbersome rules and regulations.<\/p>\n

The same report noted that many physicians pointed to the growing corporatization of medicine as a significant challenge \u2014 specifically, frustrations with nonmedical personnel influencing clinical decisions and a system focused more on quantity than quality of care.<\/p>\n

That tension is real. A surgeon who spent 12 or more years in training to master a procedure shouldn\u2019t have their clinical judgment second-guessed by an insurance algorithm. But in the current system, that happens routinely.<\/p>\n

You Have a High-Deductible Health Plan<\/h3>\n

If your deductible is $3,000 or higher, you’re likely paying most of the cost of an elective or non-emergency procedure yourself anyway. A transparent cash price can be equal to or lower than your out-of-pocket maximum \u2014 and you’ll know the number upfront.<\/p>\n

Some Surgeons Are Opting Out of the System Entirely<\/h2>\n

One of the most significant trends in American medicine right now is the quiet exodus of skilled physicians away from insurance-dependent practice.<\/p>\n

A Medical Economics feature on direct-pay practices captured this sentiment plainly. One physician said:<\/p>\n

Patients love it, and I feel that I\u2019m fulfilling what I always envisioned in my role as a doctor.
\n \u2014 Physician quoted in Medical Economics, \u201cGetting Started with a Direct Pay Practice<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The article also noted that direct-pay models are seen as more streamlined and legally cleaner than hybrid approaches that mix insurance and cash-pay patients \u2014 which can create complex compliance challenges.<\/p>\n

Notably, an orthopedic surgeon from Colorado Springs was among those featured \u2014 a signal that this shift is happening right here in Colorado, not just in coastal markets.<\/p>\n

What the Direct-Pay Model Changes for Surgeons<\/h2>\n

At a direct-pay surgical center like Smith M\u00e9dico<\/a>, the insurance middleman is simply removed. The implications for surgeons are significant:<\/p>\n