2025 Physician Report: Inside the financial and regulatory pressures reshaping medical decision-making

Welcome to the Medical Economics 96th Physician Report, which takes the pulse of practicing physicians at a moment of relentless change. Our annual survey looks beyond paychecks to capture how reimbursement pressure, rising overhead and shifting payer rules are reshaping daily decision-making inside medical practices of all sizes.

Physicians told us about the tug-of-war between autonomy and employment, the grind of administrative burden and the ways malpractice risk and liability trends alter business choices.

Before you dive into the numbers, consider this a snapshot of the questions physicians are wrestling with every day: How do I sustain my practice, protect my patients, secure my future and still find meaning in medicine?

We hope the data that follows helps you fill in that picture.