Collection Fees

Article

When physicians split up and one will be collecting the A/R for the other, what is a fair percentage for the collector to charge the other physician?

Question: When physicians split up and one will be collecting the A/R for the other, what is a fair percentage for the collector to charge the other physician?

Answer: It really depends on the specialty and exactly what services are being provided. In this case, it sounds like it's only follow-up work (and not registration, charge entry, or coding), so you'd be on the low end of the range. The following are fee percentage ranges for various specialties, according to the Healthcare Billing and Management Association (previously the International Billing Association), a trade group of billing professionals:

  • Radiology: 8.5% - 13%
  • Anesthesiology: 5.3% - 6.5%
  • Pathology: 9.5% - 10.5%
  • Surgery: 3.5% - 7.5%
  • Emergency Medicine: 10% - 13%
  • Primary Care: 10% - 15%

Newsletter

Optimize your practice with the Physicians Practice newsletter, offering management pearls, leadership tips, and business strategies tailored for practice administrators and physicians of any specialty.

Recent Videos
P2 Management Minute: Summer staffing shortages
P2 Management Minute: Hiring practice staff
P2 Management Minute: Defeating payer denials
Tips for controlling overhead costs
What is P2 Management Minute?
P2 Management Minute: Reducing patient wait times
P2 Management Minute: Boosting practice staff morale
What is the real
What is the real
Pearls profiles: Get to know Neil Baum, MD
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.