Best States to Practice - Alabama

Alabama

2017 Data:

Cost of Living: 90.7

Residency Retention Rate: 53%

Tax Climate: $3,067

Physician Density: 232.3

Malpractice Premium Average: $7,484

Medicare GPCI: 1

Cost of Living: Index data is from Q2 2017 Cost of Living Data Series, Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
Source: Missouri Department of Economic Development

Residency Retention Rate: Post-residency retention rate percentage by state (one to 9 years following completion of residency training).
Source: Doximity, 2017-2018 Residency Navigator, a comprehensive directory of 4000 U.S. medical residency programs encompassing 28 specialties.  Residency Navigator is powered by 260,000 peer nominations, ratings and reviews.

Tax Climate: State Tax Collections Per Capita, Fiscal Year 2012 (taxes collected represent property taxes, sales taxes, licensing and permit taxes, income taxes, and other forms of taxes such as severance taxes or death/gift taxes).
Source: The Tax Foundation Facts & Figures 2017

Physician Density: Total active physicians per 100,000 population.
Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation, Total Professionally Active Physicians, April 2017and U.S. Census Bureau Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: July 1, 2016 Malpractice Premiums: Average of lowest an highest rates per state, by various state, regional and national carriers in 2017. Data provided by medical malpractice specialists Cunningham Group; averages determined by Physicians Practice.
Source: Cunningham GroupNOTE: The following states also indicate the base rate plus Patient’s Compensation Fund surcharge: Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

GPCI: Medicare Work GPCI: 2017 Geographic Practice Cost Indices (GPCIs) by state and Medicare locality. (* Indicates average of all municipalities / locations in state.)
Source: E-MDs (with data from CMS)

2016 Data:

Cost of Living: 89.4

Residency Retention Rate:  48%

Tax Climate: $1,924

Physician Density: 206

Malpractice Paid Loss: $15,647

Medicare GPCI: 1

Cost of Living: Index data is from Q2 2016 Cost of Living Data Series, Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
Source: Missouri Department of Economic Development

Residency Retention Rate: Post-residency retention rate percentage by state (two to 12 years following completion of residency training.)

Source: Doximity, 2016-2017 Residency Navigator,a comprehensive guide to over 4,000 residency programs across 27 specialties

Tax Climate: State Tax Collections Per Capita, Fiscal Year 2014 (taxes collected represent property taxes, sales taxes, licensing and permit taxes, income taxes, and other forms of taxes such as severance taxes or death/gift taxes).
Source: The Tax Foundation Facts & Figures 2016

Physician Density: Total active physicians per 100,000 population.
Source: Association of American Medical Colleges 2015 State Physician Workforce Data Book

Malpractice Paid Loss: Amount paid in malpractice awards per state (in $000), from the National Practitioner Data Bank Public Use File, December 31, 2015.
Source: The Doctors Company

GPCI: Medicare GPCI: 2016 Geographic Practice Cost Indices (GPCIs) by state and Medicare locality. (* Indicates average of all municipalities / locations in state.)
Source: E-MDs (with data from CMS)

2015 Data:

Cost of Living: 90.7

Disciplinary Actions: 2.69

Tax Climate: $1,920

Physician Density: 200.8

Malpractice Paid Loss: $31,159

Medicare GPCI: 1

Cost of Living: Index data is from Q1 2015 Cost of Living Data Series, Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
Source: Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Disciplinary Actions: (per 1000 physicians): The number of actions annually per 1,000 physicians taken by the state medical boards. Disciplinary rate for the period is calculated by averaging the disciplinary rates over the three-year period 2009 - 2011.
Source: Public Citizen.

Tax Climate: State Tax Collections Per Capita, Fiscal Year 2013 (taxes collected represent property taxes, sales taxes, licensing and permit taxes, income taxes, and other forms of taxes such as severance taxes or death/gift taxes).
Source: The Tax Foundation

Physician Density: Total Active Physicians per 100,000 population.
Source: Association of American Medical Colleges 2013 State Physician Workforce Data Book

Malpractice Paid Loss: Amount paid in malpractice awards per state (in $000), from the National Practitioner Data Bank Public Use File, December 31, 2014.
Source: The Doctors Company

GPCI: Medicare GPCI: 2015 Geographic Practice Cost Indices (GPCIs) by state and Medicare locality. (* indicates average of all municipalities / locations in state)
Source: E-MDs (with data from CMS)

2014 Data:

Cost of Living: 92.4

Disciplinary Actions: 2.69

Tax Burden: $2,886

Medicare GPCI: 1

Physician Density: 200.8

Malpractice Awards: $5.18

KEY

Cost of Living: Index data is from First Quarter 2014 Cost of Living Data Series, from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Disciplinary Actions: Public Citizen’s Health Research Group report on the rate of state medical boards’ serious disciplinary actions per 1,000 physicians between 2009 and 2011. Fewer actions per 1,000 physicians generally indicate a climate of physician independence.

Tax Burden:  The Tax Foundation's State and Local Tax Burden Per Capita. Fiscal Year 2011.

Medicare GPCI:2014 Geographic Practice Cost Indices (GPCIs) by state and Medicare locality, compiled by e-MDs with data from CMS.

Physician Density: Total Active Physicians per 100,000 population, from the Association of American Medical College's 2013 State Physician Workforce Data Book (page 9).

Malpractice Awards: State rank in medical malpractice claims and amount paid per capita in each state in 2013, provided by Diederich Healthcare.

2013 Data:

Cost of Living: 93

Disciplinary Actions: 2.69

Tax Burden: $2,740

Medicare GPCI: 1

Physician Density: 201

Malpractice Awards: $5.20

Family physician Tom Kincer shares his perspective on practicing medicine in the state of Alabama.

KEY

Cost of Living: First quarter 2013 data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Disciplinary Actions: Public Citizen’s Health Research Group report on the rate of state medical boards’ serious disciplinary actions per 1,000 physicians between 2009 and 2011. Fewer actions per 1,000 physicians generally indicate a climate of physician independence.

Tax Burden: State and local tax burden per capita in fiscal year 2010 compiled by the Tax Foundation.

Medicare GPCI: 2013 Geographic Practice Cost Indices (GPCIs) by state and Medicare locality, compiled by E-MDs with data from CMS.

Physician Density: Physicians (including MDs and DOs) per 100,000 residents, from the Association of American Medical College's 2011 State Physician Workforce Data Book.

Malpractice Awards: State rank in medical malpractice claims and amount paid per capita in each state in 2012, provided by Diederich Healthcare.

2012 Data:

Cost of Living: 92.23

Disciplinary Actions: 2.69

Tax Burden: $2,967

Medicare GPCI: 1

Physician Density: 218.2

Malpractice Award Payouts: 4.09


KEYCost of Living: First quarter 2010 data from Council for Community and Economic Research
Disciplinary Actions: Public Citizen’s Health Research Group report on the rate of state medical boards’ serious disciplinary actions taken per 1,000 physicians between 2009 and 2011
Tax Burden: State and local tax burden per capita in fiscal year 2009 compiled by the Tax Foundation
Medicare GPCI: 2012 Geographic Practice Cost Indices (GPCIs) and Anesthesia CF by State and Medicare Locality report, compiled by E-MDs with data from CMS
Physician Density: Doctors per 100,000 residents, from the U.S. Census Bureau Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012
Malpractice Award Payouts: Amount paid in medical malpractice claims per capita in 2010, from the Kaiser Family Foundation
 

2011 Data:

Medicare Geographic Adjustment Factor: 0.949
Cost-of-Living Index: 92.74
State Income Tax Burden, Per Capita: $2,967

Medical Liability Insurance Average Premiums
Internal Medicine: $8,000
General Surgery: $31,000
OB/GYN: $42,000

Physicians Per 100,000 Residents: 218.2
Medical Board Disciplinary Actions per 1,000 Physicians: 2.69

KEY
Work GAF: CMS ’ Geographic Adjustment Factor is an adjustment in Medicare pay based on cost-of-doing-business differences. Median: 1.0.
Cost-of-Living Index: Computed by the Council for Community and Economic Research. Median: 100.
State Income Tax Burden, per capita: From the Tax Foundation.
Medical Liability Average Premiums: From MyMedicalMalpracticePracticeInsurance.com; ranges supplied for where averages vary widely by location and insurer.
Physicians per capita: From the U.S. Census, reflects competition level.
Medical Board Disciplinary Actions: From Public Citizen, reflects physician autonomy.

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